Meet Our New Students | BA LLB (Hons) Programme

Matilde Ribeiro

Although I hail from Goa, I was born and raised in Bangalore. I am a humanities student from Bethany Junior College, Bangalore, and my aspiration of becoming a lawyer began at the age of 15.

Came to NLS two years earlier than planned!: I was planning to apply for NLSIU’s 3-Year LLB programme but decided to write CLAT to just get an idea of a law entrance test; I also thought it would be helpful to write the NLSAT. But I ended up clearing the CLAT exam with a rank to get into NLS. So, here I am in my dream institution, two years earlier than I anticipated! Although I had secured admission for a BA degree in Sociology and Economics in another institution, I thought I should not give up on the chance to study at NLS and decided to enrol into the BA LLB programme.

What I look forward to at NLS: I am someone who tends to be bored easily and I like how challenging the syllabus is. I am also looking forward to working on new projects; For example, I am interested in doing a philosophical interpretation of Torts. As I come from a Social Sciences background, I’m looking forward to see how these subjects intersect with law and policy. Some of the areas that interest me include intersection of law with technology, regulation of technology, open access movement, law in medicine and bioethics. I feel NLS provides scope for me to explore these areas due to its interdisciplinary curriculum.

I’ve also made new friends and everyone has been really welcoming on campus. I really like the atmosphere and am looking forward to the hostel life here.

Plans ahead: I do have an interest in academia or research so I could explore these avenues but initially I might also venture into Corporate Law.

Interests & Hobbies: I’m interested in literature and have worked on literary magazines in the past. A few of my articles were published by the TOI student edition and Asymptote literary magazine. I love reading, and also am keen to explore theatre at NLS. I want to be part of the Literary and Debating Society, Quirk, and the Feminist Alliance. I had earlier gone through the website and read up all about the University so I am now keen to explore all of it in person!

Rishabh Shivani

I was born in Jhansi but have lived in Lucknow for several years, and eventually completed my schooling from Amity International School, Delhi. During my school days, I was interested in debating, reading about geopolitics, and contemporary legal issues. That led me to believe that law is a viable option for me and I decided to explore it.

What I look forward to at NLS: I am really thrilled to be a part of NLS and I wish to use this opportunity to the best of my ability. At the University, I look forward to making new friends, fostering new relationships, and of course, enjoying the Bangalore weather; I am keen to learn about the law and the legal profession as much as possible from our professors, seniors, peers, etc.

Plans ahead: I hope to pursue litigation as a career, but I do plan to explore all options during these 5 years at NLS and then make an informed choice.

Interests & Hobbies: I am a sports lover. I played table tennis till the national level. I also love playing football, cricket and I love watching Formula 1 races.

Githika

I was born in Bangalore but have been living in Delhi for the last 12 years. I was a Humanities student in Class XII and was initially considering pursuing Economics (Hons). However, when I was exploring other career options, I felt Law was a good fit for me, and especially the curriculum here involves several subjects that I have already studied so I felt this programme was an obvious choice for me.

What I look forward to at NLS: I was debating between NLU-Delhi and NLSIU. However, my parents also wanted me to get out of my comfort zone and explore a new place. I am an introvert, it will take me a while to get out of my shell. However, I am thinking about the various committees here at NLS.  My short term goals would probably be to speak out in class. I will start from there and go on to explore other interests 🙂

Plans ahead: I am leaning toward Judicial services or Administrative services in the future.

Interests & Hobbies: I like reading fiction and swimming. I hope to continue with that.

Smriti Kudva K

I am originally from Mangalore but have lived in Bangalore for several years. I was a Humanities student in Class XII so I took up Political Science, Economics, History and Psychology at Christ Junior College. I couldn’t really choose one of the four subjects and I liked how these subjects interacted with each other, so that was one of the reasons I thought Law would be a good next step for me. And if I was going anywhere, I would aim for NLS as it is the best. So far, the experience here has affirmed that for me. The keynote speech by Rebecca John was one of those moments where I realised the kind of opportunities we get at NLS.

Interests & Hobbies: I have Scoliosis since the age of 14 years. So far, I have been pretty active, and when I exercise routinely, it is manageable. I am interested in fine arts I have also been practicing ballet since 10 years. It gets pretty intense – 7 hours of practice a week – but ultimately, it gives me joy. I like interacting with animals in general, feeding stray cats and dogs, etc. I hope I can continue to keep up with some of my hobbies here too.

Plans ahead: I don’t have a specific idea yet on what I would like to specialise in after graduating from the programme. However, I am inclined to do something related to the environment as it interests me.