Dr. Kalindi Kokal’s career is a reminder that studying law does not have to mean spending your entire professional life inside a courtroom. A lawyer, social scientist, researcher, author and founder of The Intersection, Kalindi has moved across litigation, journalism, human rights, anthropology, academia and grassroots work.
In this conversation with DiscoverU, she reflects on why she chose law, what practising at the Bombay High Court taught her, why she eventually stepped away from litigation, and the many career options after a law degree that students often overlook. From think tanks and policy to law and technology, research, mediation and social impact, Kalindi explains how a legal education can remain valuable even when the traditional path no longer feels right.
She also shares practical advice for law students: start working early, choose internships where you will get real responsibility, and understand that the right career is not necessarily the most prestigious one. Sometimes, finding your path begins with discovering what you do not want.
Q & A with Dr. Kalindi Kokal
You grew up in a family of lawyers. What initially drew you towards law?
I come from a family of lawyers, so choosing law was probably the most unsurprising career decision I could have made. But interestingly, all of us ended up doing very different things. At that stage, I think I chose law partly because I wanted to be like the rest of my family. But I’m actually very glad I went through law school because it helped me understand what I did not want to do. I tried different things along the way. I practised litigation for about three years and worked at the Bombay High Court, which was very much my family’s dream for me. But even while studying law, I was working as a journalist with the Indian Express and the Herald. Journalism opened me up to issues around social justice, human rights and people from vulnerable backgrounds. I realised I wanted to tell stories that were not always visible or being discussed. So by the time I finished law school and started practising, I already had other interests pulling me in different directions.
What was your experience at ILS Law College in Pune like?
I had actually tried to get into the National Law School and did not clear the entrance exam after two attempts, so ILS was partly a choice by default. Looking back, though, I think it was very grounding. It was a regular, fairly simple law college with students from very different backgrounds. Many students were already working with lawyers or doing something alongside college, and I started working myself quite early. That exposed me to people who had very different reasons for studying law. Some wanted corporate careers, some wanted litigation, some were interested in human rights, and some simply wanted to study law and then move on to something else. There was also theatre, student activity and a lot happening outside the classroom. It wasn’t a fancy environment, but I value that experience even today because it exposed me to a variety of people and perspectives. Many of those students are still colleagues or people I refer work to. It was a very simple education, but it gave me a very strong grounding.
What do students and parents often misunderstand about law as a career?
I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that you can know exactly what you want to do at 18. You can’t. Law is also now much more commercialised, with many private institutions and very different fee structures, so finances and social circles influence where students study. Parents sometimes imagine a very straightforward path: the child goes to law school, gets a corporate law job, earns a lot of money and that’s it. But many students eventually realise that isn’t what they want. Law requires a lot of reading, analysis and research. It involves sitting by yourself for long periods and working through difficult material. It’s not simply about being good at arguments or debates. You also deal with people’s problems, and there can be more frustration than victories. So before choosing law, students need to understand what the day-to-day reality actually looks like rather than relying on what they see in films or television.
“Law requires a lot of reading, analysis and research. It’s not simply about being good at arguments or debates.”
What does the early career of a lawyer in India really look like?
There is a lot of reading and research. When I was working in a law firm, my role involved researching cases and briefing counsel who would appear in court. You spend a lot of time preparing, waiting for matters to come up and understanding the details of a case. I was fortunate to work in a small firm with a wonderful mentor who gave me a lot of responsibility. That made a huge difference. In a larger organisation, you can sometimes get lost because there are so many people and you may be given a very narrow piece of work. In a smaller firm, because they need you, you often get to do much more. I also got the opportunity to argue a couple of matters and observe senior lawyers closely. One of the most valuable lessons I learnt was simply to know your brief. You never know when you may suddenly be asked to step up and handle something. Those experiences teach you confidence, preparation and the ability to perform under pressure.
What eventually made you question a career in litigation?
The courtroom left me dissatisfied at some level, although I couldn’t initially pinpoint why. I became increasingly disillusioned with what courts could actually offer people. I remember an old man waiting outside court who told me his case was being called but his lawyer hadn’t arrived. He was desperate, so I tried to help him get the matter kept back. What really affected me was the complete lack of concern from his lawyer. This man had come from far away with some hope that the system would help him, and yet the person representing him seemed completely disconnected from what he was going through. I saw several situations like that. The excitement of litigation was there, but these experiences had a much stronger impact on me. I started questioning this idea that the courtroom automatically delivers justice. I realised that the reality was much more complicated, and I was very disillusioned by the gap between what people came to court hoping for and what they sometimes went back with.
How important is the law school you graduate from when building a legal career?
I think it matters, but it depends on what you want from your career. If you’re very motivated and ambitious, I don’t think your institution has to determine how far you go. That’s been my own experience. I didn’t get into the institution I originally wanted, but I don’t think I did badly because of it. At the same time, I know that the brand of an institution can open doors faster. If you’re from one of the better-known national law schools, the name itself can give you access to opportunities and networks. It can perhaps take you five years to reach somewhere that might take someone else eight years. There is an environment in some institutions that prepares students for bigger opportunities. But ultimately, if you’re driven by what you do, you can create those opportunities yourself. So I would say the institution can make the journey easier, but it doesn’t define the destination.
“If you’re driven by what you do, you can create those opportunities yourself.”
How important are internships and work experience for law students?
I’m a very strong supporter of working while you’re in college. Whatever the work is, if your schedule allows it, you should experience being responsible for something. It is one of the few times in your life when you’re treated like an adult but are still in a relatively protected environment. If you don’t turn up on time, nobody is going to call your mother and make excuses for you. You are responsible for your actions. That teaches you discipline, responsibility and, more importantly, clarity. When you’re actually held accountable for something, you begin to understand what you want to be responsible for and what you don’t. For law students, I would especially recommend choosing smaller law firms or organisations where you can get real responsibility. You don’t want to spend your internship simply being one more person in the room. You want to actually understand what the work feels like.
How much do background, language and social connections influence a legal career?
They can influence your trajectory, but I think you have to understand where your strengths lie and choose your path accordingly. For example, I don’t speak Marathi well enough to comfortably draft or argue legal matters in Marathi, and that has limited me in certain parts of Maharashtra. But if someone is strong in Marathi and wants to practise litigation, there is a huge opportunity in smaller towns. You don’t have to compete in the same environment as everyone else. In fact, you may rise much faster because your language and local knowledge are strengths. Corporate law is different because it operates in a much more international environment, so English fluency and social confidence can matter more. But litigation has a need across the country. We need good lawyers who understand local communities and are willing to work on the ground. It may be a harder route, but it can also be a much more meaningful one.
“We need good lawyers who understand local communities and are willing to work on the ground.”
What made you move from practising law into research and academia?
Research came into my life a little later. After practising, I went on to do a master’s in human rights at the University of London. I had professors there who were constantly questioning systems and pushing us to think critically, and I found that very exciting. One of my professors encouraged me to explore a research question around cultural defence, which looked at what happens when cultural practices conflict with the legal system. That was my first real experience of academic research and writing, and I realised I enjoyed sitting with a question and exploring it deeply. When I returned to India, I worked on a research project with an NGO, where I was able to combine fieldwork, interviews and academic research. It allowed me to interact with people, write, investigate questions and still work with law. That combination suited me much more naturally, and eventually a PhD became the logical next step.
What are some career options after a law degree beyond traditional legal practice?
There are many more options today than when I graduated. There are think tanks and policy centres where lawyers can work in research, advocacy or policy development. There is also a growing space at the intersection of law and technology, particularly around surveillance, data, privacy and digital platforms. Lawyers can work with media organisations, NGOs and businesses, or move into policy and public affairs. Some go on to do an MBA and move into business. There is mediation, which has become a more established alternative to traditional courtroom practice. There are also combinations such as law and psychology, legal counselling and other interdisciplinary areas. The important thing is that law gives you knowledge of how systems work. That knowledge doesn’t disappear just because you stop practising. It can become an additional layer of expertise in almost any career you choose.
What role has your grassroots work played in shaping your understanding of law?
My association with Avni in Kumaon has been one of the most important learning experiences of my life. I first went there when I was 21 and ended up staying for six months instead of the three weeks I had originally planned. I worked closely with communities and became involved in livelihood programmes, education and community outreach. What stayed with me was the philosophy of starting with people’s strengths rather than deciding what was supposedly right for them. Instead of imposing something new, Avni worked with what communities already knew and used that to create opportunities. That approach has influenced me throughout my career. When I work with people, I try to ask, “What is it that you want? What is your strength? How can we work from there?” My legal education eventually became useful in very practical ways too—helping people with forms, land records, scholarships or understanding what their legal options were. But before people accepted my legal help, they first had to trust me as a person.
Tell us about The Intersection and how it emerged from your work.
The Intersection grew very organically from my research into conflict and how people understand and use the law. I spent years observing people in courtrooms, police stations, NGOs, mediation spaces and panchayats. Because I was both a lawyer and a researcher, people would often approach me before entering a police station or speaking to an official and ask, “What do you think is going to happen?” They didn’t necessarily want me to tell them to go to court. They simply wanted somebody to help them understand what was happening and think through their options. Eventually, so many people were reaching out that I felt I needed to give the work a name, and The Intersection formally began in 2023. I realised there was a gap between legal advice, therapy and other forms of support. People often need to understand the law while also thinking through the emotional, social and practical dimensions of a conflict. My role is often to help them unravel those different pieces and decide what makes sense for them.
What kind of person genuinely thrives in a legal career?
The first thing I would say is that you should like to read. Law involves a tremendous amount of reading, research and independent thinking. You also need to be comfortable with yourself because a lot of the work is solitary. You spend long periods reading, analysing and trying to figure things out. Third, you need to be mentally strong. If you’re working in areas such as family or criminal law, you can become emotionally drained very quickly because you’re dealing with difficult situations every day. You need to be able to stay emotionally invested without allowing the work to consume you. And if you’re interested in pursuing justice and working with communities, you need to be a people’s person. You have to be comfortable meeting people from all kinds of backgrounds. It is not an easy profession, but law can also transform your personality. It can make you stronger, more confident and more willing to take on the world.
“The earlier you start working, the nicer it is because it really gives you clarity about why you’re doing what you’re doing.”
What would you tell someone who has completed a law degree but knows they don’t want to become a lawyer?
I would tell them that their legal education has not been wasted. A law degree gives you a very powerful piece of knowledge about how systems work, what your rights are and where boundaries exist. You can take that knowledge into business, technology, policy, research, media, NGOs, academia or many other fields. You may not want to practise law, but that doesn’t mean you have to start from zero. You already have a way of thinking that can be useful elsewhere. In fact, I think one of the strengths of a law degree is precisely that it doesn’t have to define your job. It can become the foundation on which you build something completely different.
What is the one piece of career advice you would leave with young people?
Work. I genuinely believe that a working space is your biggest school. Formal education is important, but it only gives you one part of what you need to become somebody. You also need society, community, family and real-world experience. Those things come together in a workplace. The earlier you start working, the more clarity you develop about why you’re doing what you’re doing. Work also humbles you because you start seeing that there are many different definitions of what a successful or meaningful life looks like. So work, read, explore and keep learning. Your formal education is a bonus, but the real world teaches you things that a classroom simply cannot.
“Law does a lot to your personality. It makes you stronger, it makes you confident, it gives you power to take on the world.”
Key Learnings
A Law Degree Does Not Define Your Career
Legal education can lead to litigation, research, policy, technology, media, business, academia and social impact.
Law Is More Than Arguing
Reading, research, analysis and independent thinking are at the heart of a legal career.
Work Early to Find Your Fit
Internships and real responsibility can reveal what you enjoy—and what you definitely don’t.
Choose Responsibility Over Prestige
Smaller firms and organisations can offer hands-on experience that larger institutions may not.
Your Institution Opens Doors, Not Destinations
A prestigious law school can accelerate opportunities, but motivation and initiative matter more in the long run.
Build Around Your Strengths
Language, local knowledge, research ability or people skills can create powerful legal career opportunities.
Look Beyond the Courtroom
Think tanks, policy, law and technology, mediation, NGOs, research and academia are all viable paths after law school.
Trust Comes Before Legal Advice
Working with communities requires people to first accept you as a person before they accept your expertise.
Mental Strength Matters
Law can be emotionally demanding, so resilience and the ability to manage stress are essential.
Real Experience Completes Education
Formal education gives you knowledge; work, community and society teach you how to apply it.
Conclusion
Dr. Kalindi Kokal’s career journey challenges the idea that a law degree has to lead to a conventional legal career. Her transition from litigation to human rights research, anthropology, academia and grassroots work shows how a legal education can become a foundation for many different paths. For students considering law as a career in India, the message is simple: explore before you commit, work while you study, understand your strengths and don’t be afraid to change direction. Sometimes, the most valuable thing a degree gives you is not a fixed career path, but the confidence and knowledge to build your own.
Dr. Kalindi Kokal is a lawyer, social scientist, researcher and published author whose work sits at the intersection of law, society, conflict and policy. She studied law at ILS Law College, Pune, later completing an LLM at Queen Mary University of London and undertaking doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany. She subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow at IIT Bombay and has been involved in extensive grassroots and community-based research. She currently works as a Senior Research Analyst at the Kotak School of Sustainability, IIT Kanpur, and is the founder of The Intersection, an initiative that helps people navigate complex decisions and conflicts with greater clarity.
