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India’s first fellowship for law graduates
India’s first fellowship for law graduates
Welcome to the Daksha Fellowship
The Daksha Fellowship is India’s first law, policy and business fellowship program for young and mid-career lawyers, public policy professionals and other graduates with a background in law.
The fellowship has been conceptualized as a one-year, residential program with a contempo-rary curriculum formulated by internationally renowned faculty in collaboration with leading legal practitioners and industry experts.
Daksha, meaning abilities and skills, is the philosophy that permeates every activity at the fellowship. The innovative pedagogy for the program – which includes workshops, labs and bootcamps – has been designed to equip scholars with specialized knowledge through a series of legal and non-legal courses. By combining academic rigor with top-notch curriculum design, industry exposure and global engagement, the fellowship will enable young and mid-career lawyers to hone their abilities and skills to succeed in an increasingly digital world.
Designed to address the long-standing knowledge, expertise and skill gaps in legal education
Provide the requisite knowledge, skillsets and professional network to build your career
KV Ramani
Founder, Daksha Fellowship
Founder & Chancellor, Sai University
“Amidst tectonic shifts in the nature of the workplace, social and economic order, and technological capabilities, the Daksha Fellowship aims to empower students by bridging the gaps between the world of learning and the world of work.”
Dr Jamshed Bharucha
Advisor, Daksha Fellowship
Vice Chancellor, Sai University
President Emeritus, Cooper Union
“The Daksha Fellowship is a transformative program that enables young lawyers to expand their horizons and launch exciting careers. Our outstanding faculty challenge Daksha Fellows to rise above traditional domains of thought and blaze new trails.
The Technology Law and Policy pathway opens up unbounded opportunities as technology permeates almost every aspect of our lives.
The Disputes and Regulatory Practice pathway responds to an expanding trend to efficiently settle disputes, while preparing lawyers for the imperatives of a regulatory state and conflict therein. Above all, the fellowship inspires students to grapple with issues larger than themselves and to contribute to the betterment of society.”
Former Chief Justice of IndiaPadma Vibhushan awardee
Justice MN Venkatachaliah
Founding Dean, Indian School of Business
Dr Pramath Raj Sinha
Senior Advocate, Madras High CourtDirector, International Mediation Institute (IMI)
Sriram Panchu
Co-founder & Former Chairperson, Mastek
Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Nasscom
Ashank Desai
Former Deputy Dean, Indian School of Business
Independent Director, Aurobindo Pharma
Savita Mahajan
Chairman, Manipal Global Education
Padma Shri awardee
Mohandas Pai
Co-founder and Former Chairperson, Infosys
Padma Vibhushan awardee
NR Narayana Murthy
Former Chairperson, Atomic Energy Commission of India
Padma Vibhushan awardee
Dr Anil Kakodkar
Director, ICICI Bank
Former Managing Director, SBI
Sriram Balasubramanyam
LL.B & Chartered AccountantFellow Member of ICAI, Member of ICSI
M K Santhanaraman
Managing Director, Shraddha Saburi Printers
Bhaskaran Ramamurthy
Advisors
Former Partner, PwC India
Bharti Gupta Ramola
Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group
Suneeta Reddy
Legal Studies Advisory Board
Senior Advocate, Madras High Court
Director, Nani Palkhivala Arbitration Centre
Arvind Datar
Ambedkar Visiting Associate Professor, Columbia Law School
Associate Professor, Ashoka University
Dr Madhav Khosla
Former Judge, Supreme Court of India
Justice BN Srikrishna
Partner, Trilegal
Rahul Matthan
Former Judge, High Court of APDirector, National Judicial Academy, Bhopal
Justice G RaghuramSenior Advocate, Madras High CourtDirector, International Mediation Institute (IMI)
Sriram Panchu
Vice Chancellor, Sai University
President Emeritus, Cooper Union
Dr Jamshed Bharucha
William W. Cook Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School
Dr Vikramaditya Khanna
Former Vice Chancellor, TNNLU
Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi
Dr Kamala Sankaran
Co-founder, AZB & Partners
Bahram N Vakil
Professor of Law, University of New Hampshire School of Law
Director, Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property
Ann Bartow
Program Structure &Pathways
Program Structure
Daksha Fellowship innovates through a three-pillared approach to pedagogy:
The knowledge pillar encapsulates foundational courses in legal and non-legal domains
Knowledge
Daksha is the first law fellowship in India to offer sector-specific specializations, and aims to prepare participants for the future through two pathways incorporating a pragmatic blend of theoretical and practical instructions. These pathways are:
Pathways
The expertise pillar delves into a detailed study of specialized and sectoral practices
Expertise
The skillset pillar focuses on critical skills like effective communication, clear and concise drafting, leadership readiness and data proficiency
Skillset
Technology Law and Policy Disputes and Regulatory Practice
Technology Law and Policy
Technological advances in the digital domain have broadly impacted the legal and policy universe in two different ways: one, by compelling responses to problems that are primarily within and of this domain, such as data protection, cybersecurity, telecom regulations and cybercrimes; and two, by necessitating deeper thought on customising generally applicable legislation to matters in the digital realm, be it taxation, competition law, intellectual property rights or media regulation.
This pathway, through a range of practically oriented courses on both these strands of State intervention, equips fellows to grapple with the vocabulary of emerging tech such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, cryptocurrencies, synthetic datasets and automated content moderation, the impact that each of these and others have on law and policy making, the role of a lawyer in these settings, and an overall understanding of digital technologies vis a vis law through short modules on legaltech, regtech and coding for lawyers.
Disputes and Regulatory Practice
The legal services sector has witnessed significant changes on account of the evolving nature of disputes resolution, coupled with the rise of the regulatory state. While private disputes are increasingly resolved through autonomous and alternative disputes resolution mechanisms, procedural innovations such as commercial courts and online disputes resolution methods are redefining the skills needed for an effective litigator. At the same time, regulatory bodies - old and new - have become sites of legal contestation, with their expansive rule-making authority, spurring the demand for lawyers with a conceptual and sectoral understanding of regulation. This pathway will provide a practical understanding of disputes resolution in private settings as well the regulatory context. The pathway will look at the complementarity of the private dispute resolution processes with the formal disputes resolution institutions and processes.
As the regulatory context is closely tied with a deep conceptual understanding of regulation, the pathway will also equip fellows to grapple with the very idea of regulation. With this foundation in place, fellows shall be given the option to specialise further, with optional clusters on advanced disputes resolution, corporate & financial sectors, and infrastructure & sustainability.
Areas ofLearning
• Fundamentals of Public Law• Fundamentals of Private Law
• Finance and Accounting for Lawyers
• Workshop on MS Excel, MS PowerPoint
• Research Methods
• Foundations of Data and Statistics
Technology Law and Policy
• Data Protection
• Telecom Law and Regulatory Architecture
• Information Technology Act and Cybercrimes
• Media Law
• Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Age
• Emerging Technologies and Legaltech
• Legaltech and Coding
• Negotiations
• Real Estate
• Regulation of Emerging Technologies
• Accounting
• Legal Drafting
• Contract Drafting
• Fundamentals of Writing
• Speech and Expression
• Mindfulness
• Minimalism and Environmental Consciousness• Personal Finance Management
• Critical Thinking
• Storytelling
Bootcamps Communication Lab Work and Well-being Lab
Knowledge
Expertise
Skills
• Finance
• Public Policy
• Taxation in the Digital Economy • Investments and
Transactions in the Technology Sector
Disputes and Regulatory Practice
• Foundations of Disputes Resolution
• Procedure and Evidence
• Remedies
• The Regulatory State • Three specialized clusters
• Corporate Governance
• Competition Law and M&A
- Advanced Disputes cluster- Infrastructure and Sustainability cluster
- Corporate and Financial cluster
DakshaLabs
Professional success is not just a product of technical knowledge – the ability to communicate your ideas clearly, in speech as well as in writing, plays a vital role here. The Communication Lab aims to enhance your writing and speaking skills in diverse professional contexts (legal, business and policy) and for diverse audiences (technical and non-technical). It is designed to teach you how to write academic papers, policy briefs, op-eds and e-mails, as also to speak in professional settings, in person-to-person dialogues and to the public at large. Learning in the labs will be activity driven and the engagement will go on through the whole course.
Daksha Labs
The skillset pillar of the fellowship is advanced through specially curated labs, in addition to the mandatory internship and learning bootcamps. These labs mould Daksha fellows into well-rounded and versatile individuals.
Work and Well-being Lab
Communication Lab
Bootcamps
WoWeL is a unique, thoughtfully designed initiative to prepare young lawyers to develop personal effectiveness skills while at the same time equipping them to take care of their own mental and emotional well-being. This specially designed curriculum has been formulated keeping the Delta-model of lawyering in mind and encompasses components such as critical thinking, mindfulness, storytelling, leadership skills, minimalism, poetry for professionals, dance movement therapy, and animal therapy.
Bootcamps are intensive learning modules designed to encourage practical and hands-on training in legal, policy and skill-based areas. They are hosted by eminent industry practitioners and think tanks. With targeted and quality learning outcomes as their objective, these bootcamps usually happen over a period of three to five days. Some bootcamps will be relevant to certain pathways more than others, and attendance will be mandated accordingly. All bootcamps involve some element of group activity. The inaugural cohort of Daksha have bootcamps in finance, accounting, mindfulness, speech and expression, technology and the law, real estate and other important themes planned for the year.
Professional Advancement
All Daksha Fellows will undertake a mandatory eight-week internship with law firms, corporate organizations, think tanks, and not-for-profits. Every individual will be mentored by a dedicated career development team. Upon graduation, students will be equipped to pursue a successful career in:
Advisory and regulatory practice Technology law and policy consulting
Litigation and disputes resolution General legal roles that require an interdisciplinary outlook
In addition to nurturing lawyers through the fellowship program, Daksha serves the vital function of a knowledge platform, especially in specialized areas such as technology law, regulation, and disputes resolution mechanisms. Daksha Dialogues, Daksha Masterclasses and entire weeks devoted to cutting edge areas in law and policy such as data governance, are part of this attempt to bring key stakeholders to weigh in on relevant themes. Our social media footprint is a testament to these efforts.
#DakshaDialogues #DakshaMasterclass #DakshaSeries
We believe in drawing from the pool of expertise that other, similarly minded, organizations offer. In this regard, Daksha Fellowship is the first institutional partner for the Indian National Association of Legal Professionals (INALP), a voluntary association for the rapidly growing community of legal professionals in India.
Our Knowledge Platforms
Our Knowledge Partners
We have also organized sessions in partnership with leading law and policy recruiter, Vahura, to educate students about emerging trends in law and policy hiring.
The recordings of all these sessions are available on our Youtube Channel.
• Specialization in emerging areas of law and policy
• Eminent faculty with international training
• Unique three-pillared approach to pedagogy
• Career opportunities through internship program
• Opportunities to work with top legal, technology and policy organizations
• Career cell to advise on career development
• Mentorship and strong networks
• Financial assistance on a merit-cum-means basis
Program Highlights
Chennai
With its pristine beaches, heritage sites, warm-hearted people and unique culinary traditions, Chennai is an eclectic fusion of old-world charm and modern sensibility. Home to leading technology companies and intellectual incubators, the city has also produced some of India’s best lawyers, thinkers and policymakers. A vibrant cultural life and a thriving intellectual community make Chennai an ideal location for an innovative fellowship program that seeks to refashion legal education.
Faculty
LL.M., National Law University and Judicial Academy, Guwahati
B.A. LL.B. (Hons), National Law University and Judicial Academy, Guwahati
Abhishek Chakravarty
S.J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia
LL.M., University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia
B.A. LL.B. (Hons), National Law School of India University, Bangalore
Ananth Padmanabhan
LL.M., Harvard Law School, Harvard University, Cambridge
B.A. LL.B. (Hons), West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata
Anirudh Burman
BCL, University of Oxford, OxfordB.A. LL.B. (Hons), NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
Anirudh Krishnan
LL.M., University of Warwick, Coventry [Chevening Scholar]
B.A. LL.B. (Hons), National Law School of India University, Bangalore
Chitra Narayan
LL.B., Symbiosis Law School
Karthik Sundaram
Ph.D. (Political Theory), Harvard University, Cambridge
LL.M., Yale Law School, New Haven
B.A. LL.B. (Hons), National Law School of India University, Bangalore
Madhav Khosla
LL.M., National Law School of India University, Bangalore
B.A LL.B. (Hons), National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Cochin
Mahesh Menon
M.Phil. (Public Policy), University of Cambridge
PG Diploma in Liberal Studies, Ashoka University, Sonipat
B.E. (Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering), Anna University, Chennai
Archana Sivasubramanian
Ph.D. (Folklore), University of Pennsylvania
M.Sc. (Psychology), University of Madras, Chennai
Eric Miller
M.Phil. (Public Policy), University of Cambridge, Cambridge
B.A. LL.B. (Hons), NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
Malavika Raghavan
Ph.D. Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
M. Phil., Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
LL.M., Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin
B.A. LL.B., Government Law College, Ernakulam
MV Shiju
B.A. LL.B. (Hons), National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi
Nikhil Narendran
LL.M., Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune
B.L, University of Madras, Chennai
NS Nappinai
J.S.D (in progress), Yale Law School, New Haven
LL.M., Yale Law School, New Haven
B.A. LL.B. (Hons), National Law School of India University, Bengaluru
Raeesa Vakil
Ph.D., National Law School of India University, Bangalore
LL.M., National Law School of India University, Bangalore
B.A. LL.B., University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram
Suchithra Menon
Ph.D. Intellectual Property Risk Management, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
LL.M., International Economic Law, University of Warwick, Coventry
LL.B., Bangalore University, Bangalore
Sudhir Ravindran
M.S., Columbia University, New York M.S. Journalism, Columbia University, New York
B.A. LL.B. (Hons), West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata
Suhrith Parthasarathi
Ph D: Hertie School, Berlin, ongoing
Master of Public Policy: Hertie School, Berlin
B.E. (Comp. Sc.): Savitribai Phule University, Pune and Ecoles des Mines, France
Sahil Deo
B.A. LL.B. (Hons), National Law School of India University, Bangalore
Siddharth K. Vedula
M.A. (International Affairs), Columbia | SIPA
B.A. (Journalism), Penn State University
Samanth Subramanian
Campus andStudent Life
City Campus
The city campus for the Daksha Fellowship is located in Navalur on the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), Chennai, and is readily accessible through public transport, including taxis and buses. The air-conditioned city campus has modern classrooms equipped with state-of-the-art teaching aids, high speed WiFi, cafeteria, library, study areas, and other essential amenities.
Student Housing
Daksha Fellowship has partnered with Zolo Opaline, which is 1 km away from the city campus, to provide residence to fellows. The rental will have to be borne by each fellow and the pricing will vary for single and twin-sharing accommodation.
Amenities included in Zolo Opaline are wifi, airconditioned single occupancy/twin sharing rooms, kitchen, housekeeping service on alternate days, washing machine and laundry services, refrigerator, gym, and a provision store. A health centre with ambulance services is also available within the Zolo Opaline community. Shuttle service is available to commute to city campus on a daily basis.
Student Life and Committees
Daksha Fellowship believes in fellows taking leadership to drive change. In the spirit of this philosophy, student-run committees work autonomously, designing their own structure and functioning under the guidance of the program administration. The formation of student clubs and interest groups is facilitated by the student affairs team. Some of the key committees are Student Engagement Committee (SEC), Research & Academic Committee (RAC), Professional Development Committee (PDC), and the Gender Sensitization and Support Group (GSSG). Other than these committees, several clubs have been instituted to afford Daksha fellows a platform to pursue their passion and develop and hone their interests outside of academics.
Daksha Digital Library
Daksha Fellowship provides fellows with a remote access tool that enables using our digital library for academic purposes, from anywhere in the world. Currently, the online Digital Library resources include SCC Online, Manupatra, LexisNexis, Westlaw, JSTOR, and HeinOnline. We are rapidly adding to this collection.
Daksha FellowshipAdmissions
• Performance in tenth and twelfthgrade board examinations, andinternship/work record as the casemay be
• Personal Statement
• Legal Essay
• Performance in the Admissions Test.The admissions test may be DakshaFellowship Admissions Test (DFAT),CLAT PG or LSAT India
• Panel Interview
Application Form
The application form has the following sections
• Personal Profile
• Academic Details
• Internships and ProfessionalExperience (if any)
• Essays andSelection
• Co-curricular
• UploadDocuments
All sections must be complete for the application to be processed.
Daksha Fellowship Admissions
In sync with the qualities expected of a Daksha Fellow, the admissions process evaluates multiple facets of an applicant’s personality – breadth and depth of knowledge, consistency and rigour, curiosity and initiative, clarity and ambition.
The online application can be started by any applicant who fulfils the eligibility criteria stated below. Meeting the eligibility criteria does not however guarantee an offer. For more details on the online application, visit the admissions webpage.
Eligibility Criteria
Graduation in law from a Centre for Legal Education recognized by the Bar Council of India, or successful completion of an equivalent law degree from an overseas institute or university.
Admission Parameters
The Admissions Committee shall evaluate the following, before making an offer of admission:
02
0 3Panel Interview
Entrance Test
- Daksha Fellowship Admissions Test (DFAT)- CLAT PG- LSAT–India
Application Submission and Evaluation
AdmissionProcedure
“Technological advances and economic trends are propelling significant change in the legal and regulatory environment.It is becoming increasingly important for legal professionals to not only keep abreast of new developments but also acquire a variety of new skills and critical thinking capabilities.”
Admissions Test
The applicant may give DFAT and score minimum 50% or provide the required CLAT PG or LSAT India score.
Panel Interview
Every applicant who has successfully completed the application and undergone a first round of screening will be eligible to appear in the panel interview. The interview could be a personal interview in our City Campus in Chennai or in one of the metro cities, or it could be via a video call. Applicants will receive prior notice.
0 1
Dr Ananth PadmanabhanDean, Daksha Fellowship
Tuition (INR) 6,00,000
Housing (INR)* 1,80,000
AdmissionsFee (INR)** 20,000
Total fees (INR) 8,00,000
Candidates selected for the Daksha Fellowship shall be considered for scholarship (merit-cum-means) and financial assistance on tuition fee. Candidates will be expected to pay a non-refundable fee of INR 20,000 upon acceptance of the admissions offer.
Daksha Fellowship invites applications from Non-Resident Indians and International students from around the world, and does not discriminate between Indian, NRI, and International applicants.
Daksha Fellowship does not have an NRI quota and all applicants are judged on merit. Unlike many institutions, all students irrespec-tive of their national origins are charged the same tuition and residential fees.
NRI & International Students
• Applications open on Tuesday, 05 Jan, 2021
• Round 3 closes on Tuesday, 15 Jun, 2021
• Round 1 closes on Sunday, 31 Jan, 2021
• Round 2 closes on Wednesday, 31 Mar, 2021
Important Dates
All applicants are required to submit their application through the Daksha Fellowship online portal.
The program will follow a rolling admissions cycle. However, applicants are encouraged to apply in the initial rounds
to avail financial assistance. Decisions on scholarships and fee waivers will be taken on a first come first serve
basis.
Program Fees
* Indicative and at actuals ** Non-refundable
Listen to ourFellows & Faculty
Having graduated in an uncertain time, I had no clue of what lay ahead of me or how to take my career forward, after graduation. My only expectation was to find a place that would acknowledge my talent and create an opportunity for me to unveil and make use of.
Vasishtan P
Journey to Daksha Fellowship - how and why?
I met Dr. Ananth Padmanabhan at an event when I was unaware of Daksha Fellowship.Without being aware that Daksha was his brainchild, I happened to talk to him about my interests in Technology Law and IPR.
He spoke persuasively and at length about this program and the special pathway on Technology Law and Policy. Thereafter, I started my online research to learn about this program. The outreach and admissions team got in touch with me and explained to me the structure of the program without any hard-sell. Impressed as much by this transparency and professionalism, as by the design of the program itself, I signed up promptly and enthusiastically.
Your thoughts on course structure, faculty and exposure at Daksha Fellowship?
The fellowship as I see it combines academic rigor and industry exposure in an ideal balance.
I found my leanings towards Technology Law well addressed by the Daksha Fellowship’s flagship pathway of Technology Law and Policy.
The faculty being, well-established leaders in the sector, I am confident that the upcoming year will be filled with a lot of learning, grounding, and zeal. Implementing a novel program of a Law Fellowship opens the floodgates to a successful corporate world and the way Daksha is structured, it builds career professionals well equipped to face the challenges of our times.
Daksha Fellow
I graduated from a law school in Hyderabad and was preparing for my CS exams when I came across Daksha. The course looked super interesting and unique. It aligned with what I had in mind and I immediately decided to apply.
Soumya Ganti
Journey to Daksha Fellowship - how and why?
Your thoughts on course structure, faculty and exposure at Daksha Fellowship?
Daksha Fellow
The fellowship is uniquely designed. The academic and non-academic components are equally balanced. With some of the most renowned names on the faculty, the exposure the Fellows will get is unparalleled. The activities that Fellows get to undertake as part of Work and Well-being Lab (WoWeL) and other labs make Daksha a holistic experience. So much to learn and explore every single day!
The journey at Daksha has been very enriching as we are being made to read extensively in the areas that are generally overlooked such as rule of law, policy framing, social science-oriented research, among others. I was working as an Associate with PLA Advocates, a firm primarily focused on regulatory litigation. The regulatory litigation sector particularly involves dealing with a fair bit of numbers and financial statements.
Mridul Gupta
Journey to Daksha Fellowship - how and why?
Therefore, the finance classes in our pre-term helped a lot with understanding how the projects work from a practical and commercial standpoint. The classes helped in viewing these regulatory disputes from a different perspective. It is imperative to learn how numbers work – it will definitely help in advising clients better and be advantageous across sectors.
Your thoughts on course structure, faculty and exposure at Daksha Fellowship?
Course structure is par excellence, so is the faculty. Facilitated by the online platform,
the sessions are giving us an opportunity to interact with industry experts such as Nandini Khaitan, Rahul Matthan and many others. This has been particularly rewarding. The WoWeL (Work and Well-being Lab) sessions that put us in direct touch with Piya Bose and Rachel Thomas, equipped us for managing the world of work.
Daksha Fellow
The Daksha Fellows who have completed their legal education are the ones looking for broader horizons before they decide on what to do with their careers. The fellowship provides them exactly with this opportunity. I believe the communications lab is fundamental to their learning. The skill to write and read with clarity, thoughtfulness and analytical skills is an important element of any career regardless of what discipline you eventually choose. I hope that the fellows will carry these skills all through their careers.
Samanth Subramanian (Indian Writer and Journalist, London)
I had the opportunity to do a workshop series related to story composition, storytelling and story writing with young fellows of Daksha Fellowship. For young lawyers these are unique and important skillsets. One way to explain clearly is to visualize the story events and if the storyteller does that the listeners will also be able to visualize the story events. This will help listeners to develop empathy and compassion for the story characters. I hope the fellows enjoyed the workshop and continue to use the learnings in whatever career path they choose.
Dr Eric Miller (Director, World Storytelling Institute)
42%Women
58%Men
46%Freshers
54%Experienced
Total Class Size:
607% of students are with a
Masters Degree
17Students are from over
Law Schoolsin India
OurClass Profile
Admissions Office
SSPDL Tower4th Floor, Beta Block, NavalurOld Mahabalipuram RoadChennai - 603103
+91 9940057400, 044 61436143
Scan the QR code to reach our website
dakshafellowship.org
Connect with Us
Meet our Admissions & Outreach team
DirectorAdmissions and Outreach
Nandini Uchil Riddhiman Sarkar Navin AnandanAsst. Director
Admissions and OutreachManager
Admissions and Outreach
Campus Address
SSPDL Tower4th Floor, Beta Block, NavalurOld Mahabalipuram RoadChennai - 603103
