In Conversation With Aakanksha Joshi, Partner, ELP Advocates and Solicitors| BW Legal World 40 Under 40

Many Congratulations on winning the BW Legal World 40 under 40. How has been your initial reaction after joining the elite club of BW Legal World 40 Under 40 Lawyers and Legal Influencers? How was your experience interacting with the Jury and of the event? 

AJ: I was quite surprised and delighted. Any accolade is not only a recognition but also a spur to working harder. The experience interacting with the jury was wonderful. Their questions made me contemplate various aspects of my practice as well as my role as a lawyer in society today.

Please walk us through your journey in this field of law? When did you first realize that law was your life’s calling?

AJ: I consider myself an accidental lawyer. I enrolled as a law student as a stop gap while considering other career options. I interned at a law firm after my first year just to keep myself occupier and found myself getting more and more interested in a career I had never considered for myself. One day I was talking to another intern, and he remarked that I seem to have a real passion for the law, and I just realised that I did! After that I completed my degree while serving as an article clerk. I got the solicitor’s qualification through the Bombay Incorporate Law Society immediately after 3 years of my articleship. I segued from being a real estate and corporate lawyer into a projects and energy lawyer in this time and keep looking forward to see what the profession has in store for me next.

Who according to you has been your guide and mentor in this illustrious journey as a lawyer?

AJ: It is difficult to pick a single person since as a law student and a lawyer at a law firm you learn from so many people. You learn not only from your professors and senior colleagues but also younger lawyers, clients and opposing counsel. My career is a convergence of many different thoughts and approaches learned from many people and experiences.

Please help us understand the practice areas you deal in and the diverse array of work you handle? Which industries does your practice cater to mostly and which sector of the economy does your advisory service cover?

 AJ:The sectors I focus on primarily are infrastructure, energy and hospitality. In each of these sectors, I advise on various aspects ranging from Government concessions, construction, supply and service contracts, investments and acquisitions, regulatory issues and operational issues. In infrastructure, my work covers roads, ports, airports, rail and water. In energy, I advise on both traditional energy in the form of coal and oil and gas as well nuclear energy and renewable energy. My practice spans the lifecycle of a project, from inception including advising on bidding, to development involving construction and design, to investments and 

Do you believe that AI and Technology will supersede the lawyering skills in the coming times, especially with the recent hype around ChatGPT and other AI softwares?

AJ: This is a difficult question as predicting how AI and technology will develop is not yet known. We are already seeing AI and technology being used by lawyers for basic drafting, due diligence and research. However, there is always a philosophical question as to whether AI is actually able to think or does it just provide responses based on datasets and NLP. As a young practitioner, you are often told to ‘think like a lawyer’, a phrase which is difficult to explain but easy to understand. And that’s what your clients and peers value, your ability to think like a lawyer and rearrange a problem statement or an argument in a way to serve your intentions. I am not sure AI and technology can replace that, although many tasks carried on by junior attorneys could be performed by AI. Lawyers will learn to adapt to AI and use it as a tool to become more efficient.

What are you doing if not lawyering? What are your hobbies in general?

I read extensively, sketch, visit art galleries and museums. I also enjoy attending plays and concerts, especially western classical performances. 

As a parting note, would you please recommend a favourite book that left a lasting impression on you? What has been your most recent read?

A book that left a lasting impression on me would be ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’ by Daniel Kahneman. It explores the ways in which humans think and why we are not as rational as believe we are. It’s a good reminder for us to keep our minds open and be receptive to facts that run contrary to our instincts and intuition. The last book I finished was ‘Why Nations Fail’ by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, which examines the social and political reasons underlying prosperity and poverty across various nations. I am currently re-reading ‘Godel Escher Bach’ by Douglas Hofstadter, which is about the underlying logic in mathematics, art and music which shows common cognitive patterns.