[1] How lawyers spend their time

Lawyers spend much of their time thinking, analysing and reading. The one leads to the other: and the possession of all these are essential for a successful career.

[2] Books, the wisdom of ages 

Which brings us to books: on an average day, a lawyer, a good lawyer, spends his time researching: looking for information, ideas and procedural steps. This, he finds always in the law books. Some books she will own, some she will loan, and some she wished she had but never could afford.

So books are not, in a lawyer’s office, there for the decoration. Law books are expensive and go out of fashion very quickly. Some books are relevant for the duration of a decade, a few, a lifetime. I have often written out what books a lawyer should possess. You will see an example in my website ‘paradox’.

[3] My pupil-master’s library

My pupil-master’s firm spent a vast amount of money maintaining a massive library. Like moths attracted to the light, the library like a siren in the waves called out to many legal practitioners, themselves bereft of means to maintain one, or too stingy to spend money on books. They would skulk in and asked permission to browse the books for free. The firm allowed it. It was a great kindness. That kindness would become tempered by wisdom. You know how people are: they won’t spend their own money to buy books. But when they have a free source, they care not to treat the books with respect. I fear it happened to the firm library too.

The partners loved their library and their books with a ferocity that was hard to imagine.

This is one example of that passion for books.

I wish to thank the unceasing and often Olympian efforts of the Japanese artist, En. Samad Hassan, the videographer and lighting specialist,  Aaron Chung, KN Geetha, JD Prabhkirat, GS Saran, Nathan Sithambaram and ‘Rajan’ Ratna Kumar.