In Conversation with Vishnu Tandi on winning a Gold Medal and working as a Legal Officer, IDBI

Ruchika Mohapatra25 July 20234 min read

In this conversation with CLATalogue, Vishnu Tandi talks about how he won the gold medal in law school despite law not being his first option for a career. His story is one of perseverance and hard-work which led him to clearing the UPSC Legal Officer Examination!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I want to introduce myself as a banker by profession and a lawyer by passion. My Name is Vishnu Tandi and I hail from Rawatsar, a small town in Rajasthan. I am Gold Medalist in Corporate Law.

I did my graduation from the School of Law, the Northcap University, Gurugram and Masters (LL.M) in Corporate Law from MSB University (Rajasthan State Govt. University). I started my career as a Law Research Associate in the National Company Law Tribunal and subsequently I shifted to the field of banking and joined Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank as a Law Officer. Currently, I am working in Industrial Development Bank of India as a Legal Officer.

How did you start your journey in the field of law?

I did my schooling in a Hindi Medium school. During my school days, my reasonably decent academic achievements might have prompted my father to dream of me becoming a lawyer.

To be honest, coming from a small town with a Hindi medium background, I never imagined I could ever be a lawyer. But , due to peer pressure, I was compelled to attempt CLAT. Fortunately or unfortunately, I failed to get admission in any NLU and joined Northcap University to pursue my Law degree.

How were your initial years in law school?

My initial years in the law college were very tough and challenging for me. As stated earlier, since I was a Hindi medium student, apart from the course books, I had to work on speaking and writing well in English as well.

So, I remained focused on my studies for the initial two years. Thereafter, I joined various organizations as a volunteer and a freelancer. I also started my own website named LEXKHOJ with two international Law journals.

What motivated you to pursue law as a career?

Honestly speaking, it was not my dream career till my high School. Being a commerce student, I was expected to opt for related professional courses such as CA or CS. However, it was my father’s persistence to break the monotony and do something different. Hence, all credit goes to my father for helping me to choose law as my career.

How was your experience while taking CLAT PG?

After completing my LL.B., I had no definite plans about taking a specific career path in law. I was very much interested in research and I thought that I would probably become a professor if I worked hard enough.

I wrote CLAT PG and was allotted NLU Odisha. I had also cracked some other entrance exams for traditional law colleges such as Punjab University. However, I was looking for a college where I can pursue my PG and simultaneously continue practicing at the bar. Finally, I selected Maharaja Surajmal Brij University (Rajasthan State Government University) for my LLM in Corporate Law.

What were your top 3 sources of information while preparing for law entrance examinations?

My preparation sources primarily comprised the materials available all over the internet, newspapers and books.

What would you say sets apart your story from others?

Being a Hindi medium student from a small town, I have not only completed my Law degree with distinction and won a Gold Medal but also I have cleared various prestigious exams including UPSC (Legal).

I have been awarded the Budding Achiever award for my startup during my college days and now I am working as a Legal Officer in the Industrial Development Bank of India.

I believe my story stands out from others because it reflects that even though initially I didn’t choose law as a career, I persevered and excelled in it.

Any advice you’d like to pass on to law school aspirants and law students?

In my opinion, there is not much difference between NLUs and non NLUs. It all depends on the student and his learning capacity. College can be a guiding factor but ultimately it is the student who has to grab opportunities and choose the right path.

This interview is a part of our series #MyCLATStory where we interview law students and legal professionals.

Click here to submit your #CLATStory

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Ruchika Mohapatra

Contributing author

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