Senior Advocate Arvind Datar was invited to a webiner conducted by Madras Tax Bar. He shared his experiences and lessons from forty years of his professional journey. The journey of the Senior Advocate was a roller coaster ride i.e. of successes and setbacks. He initiated his address by stating that every setback has a silver lining; “I was looking back at my life, and I realised that every success was after a setback. So, it was a cycle of success and setbacks. Nobody has only successes and nobody has only setbacks.”
Words Shared by Mr. Datar
He shared that there has been a striking change in the way of practice in the last forty years. There was no concept of computer when he joined the Bar. Things like technology, WhatsApp, and mobile phones were not so important. However, in present scenario one cannot imagine practicing without them. Life of a lawyer was never easy, he added.
The term ‘Briefless lawyer‘ was a part of daily lexicon. He took advantage of the days when his college was shut down due to emergency and strikes in 1970’s. He used to visit Madras High Court at that time; which ended up as a phenomenal learning experience for him. Moreover, he spent time in Connemara Public Library reading legal biographies. He emphasised on the importance of devouring biographies.
While sharing lessons from his profession he expressed the importance of good seniors and colleages. He visited the court everyday which helped him gain experience. He took civil cases and gave lectures to ensure the inflow of money. Many setbacks and hurdles followed in his journey. However, the setbacks turned into successes with the advent of excise law. Furthermore, he emphasised on knowing your potential and have a clear goal. He opined that “If you are passionate, if you’re mad about your goal, you can achieve it.”ย ย Being a master of your field , single minded focus, making notes and not comparing yourself to anybody else will help go a long way; Mr. Datar concluded.
