Stumbling into destiny

Additional Solicitor General of India, 57-year-old Pinky Anand's route to success was a circuitous one. It's not hard to imagine her in a parallel universe as an industrialist, had she followed her initial area of interest and completed an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur. After passing out from school, her plan looked very different from the shape it finally took. A popular figure at Lady Shri Ram College as a topper in the Economics department and a prominent debater, her Economics degree was in preparation for a specialisation in management.

The only woman to join the course at XLRI, Jamshedpur, she soon became homesick and disillusioned because "MBA (seemed to her to) lack the claim of an independent profession.'' She left the course halfway and returned to Delhi. Attributable in part to lawyer friend Geeta Luthra, she made up her mind to give law a try. Following her moment of clarity, she joined Campus Law Centre for her LLB (Bachelor of Legislative Law). "I have been fortunate to have mentors such as Arun Jaitley from my DUSU (Delhi University Students Union) days," she says. She did her Masters from Harvard Law School where she won the Inlaks Scholarship devoted to the cause of Indian students studying abroad, and received a doctorate from Kitts Law School.

Support "I had no legal inheritance to speak of and grabbed whatever came my way and thankfully, a lot of opportunities did. The experience of dabbling in different subjects held me in good stead and enabled me to handle any kind of brief. My family was into hardcore business, but they never set any restrictions with regard to which academic discipline I should pursue. When I stumbled across law, it seemed like destiny and I realised belatedly that every aspect of law and policy excites me.'' Memorable cases The Arjun Munda case in 2005 has gone down in history as a vindication of the legal system. "The decision to take up Arjun Munda's case was a hurried one. I did not think of repercussions; it turned out well in the end though. He had the numbers to become the chief minister but his claim was ignored and a floor test announced giving a wide range for horse trading. The Supreme Court reacted and responded to the petition in his favour."

Kushboo's was another high-profile case in 2010 that became a landmark judgment. Justice BS Chauhan upheld the fundamental right to speech and expression and quashed all 21 criminal cases against her. Consolidating experience "After Harvard, I was keen to get some work experience in the US. I was committed to return to India and, unlike my peers, not settle down in the US. I still remember that when I went for a job interview, I candidly told the interview board that I wanted a short-term assignment. They were surprised but offered me a job as an associate. I joined Bingham Dana & Gould, a well-known Boston Law Firm, in 1981. Before coming back to India, I spent about seven months travelling in Europe.''

Advice to law students Each new case is akin to sitting for a test you already passed. "Even after years of practice, there is no way to be completely prepared for a case. One should have a sense of commitment, hard work, strategy, ingenuity, and art of communication. Exposure to public life adds to the persona of a law officer," she says. "Practice in the courtroom makes you realise the golden rule of 'survival of the fittest'. You are required to concentrate all your energy, strategy and wits when arguing a case. It is a prime example of multitasking."