This post is part of our ‘A Day in the Life’ segment, where we showcase the lives of legal professionals. The segment aims to help you make inspired and informed career decisions.
Jatin Kochhar is the Founding Partner of Clavius Legal. His journey in the legal profession spans over a decade, during which he has had the privilege of working on complex disputes, high-stakes arbitrations, and strategic advisory services for corporates across sectors.
Founding Clavius Legal was not just a career move, but a vision to build a modern, forward-looking law firm that blends precision in law with innovation in approach.
Can you describe your specific responsibilities in this role?
The role of a founding partner is truly multifaceted. On one hand, I am a lawyer – advising clients, shaping strategy in disputes, and arguing before courts and tribunals. On the other, I am an entrepreneur – mentoring the next generation of lawyers, building institutional capacity, and steering the firm toward growth.
Every day involves balancing the craft of lawyering with the responsibility of building a lasting institution.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned since starting in this role?
That leadership in law is as much about people as it is about cases. The most important lesson has been to listen – whether it’s to a client’s concerns, a junior’s ideas, or even the subtle shifts in the industry. Adaptability and empathy are just as critical as legal expertise.
What are the biggest challenges you face in running or managing a law firm as a partner?
The greatest challenge lies in wearing multiple hats simultaneously. While clients expect razor-sharp legal solutions, the firm demands vision, systems, and culture. Balancing billable work with long-term strategy, and managing the weight of expectations from clients, colleagues, and even oneself, is both the challenge and the test of leadership.
What’s the one thing that surprised you about the job when you started?
I was surprised at how quickly law evolves once you step outside textbooks. Running a firm showed me that law is not static – it changes with every precedent, regulation, and even with society’s expectations.
What also surprised me was the entrepreneurial spirit the profession demands; being a partner means being part lawyer, part strategist, and part business builder.
What does a typical day in your life look like?
No two days are alike. Some begin in court, presenting arguments; others are spent in back-to-back client meetings or deep in drafting. Afternoons often involve strategy sessions with the team, reviewing work, and mentoring associates. Evenings are usually reserved for research, reading, or planning ahead.
The unpredictability keeps the work exciting, though it does mean long hours are the norm rather than the exception.
What are the Pros and Cons of your work?
The pros are many – the intellectual challenge of solving complex problems, the privilege of influencing outcomes that truly matter to clients, and the joy of building something larger than oneself.
The cons are perhaps the flip side: the long hours, the unpredictability that comes with high-stakes matters, and the constant pressure to deliver excellence.
Yet, it is precisely these challenges that make the profession stimulating and deeply rewarding.
What helped you grow in your career and take on the role of a Partner? What qualifications or experiences helped the most?
Growth came from seeking out challenges rather than avoiding them. Handling diverse and demanding matters early in my career gave me both resilience and confidence.
Mentors who encouraged independent thinking were invaluable. Ultimately, it wasn’t just qualifications but the willingness to step outside my comfort zone and take responsibility that helped me grow into the role of a partner, and eventually, a founding partner.
What qualities do you look for when hiring young lawyers or interns?
At Clavius Legal, we are not structured for scale – we are built for impact. Our work spans complex, high-stakes matters across jurisdictions, industries, and legal systems, and this demands more than just technical proficiency. I look for young lawyers who combine intellectual clarity with sound judgment and the ability to think strategically, even in uncertain terrain.
Discipline, integrity, and resilience are non-negotiable, as is the willingness to take ownership. Curiosity and initiative matter greatly – a good associate doesn’t merely execute tasks but engages deeply, asks the right questions, and thinks one step ahead.
Since our practice is deliberately lean and partner-driven, associates are integral to every matter, not auxiliary to it. Those who thrive with us are the ones who see challenges as opportunities and are driven to uphold uncompromising standards of excellence.
What advice would you give to students or young lawyers who aspire to lead a firm one day?
Build your foundations – master the law, but also build yourself as a person. Leadership requires credibility, and credibility comes from integrity, consistency, and the courage to make decisions. Learn to listen, communicate, and manage people. And above all, understand that leadership is not about hierarchy – it’s about responsibility.
Please recommend any books or resources that you think every law student should explore.
Apart from the above, a law student should always explore landmark judgments from Supreme Court and High Courts as there is no better classroom than real cases.
Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges by Antonin Scalia and Bryan Garner – fan essential guide to advocacy.
The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli – because sound judgment is as important as sound law.
Disclaimer: Interviews published on Lawctopus are not thoroughly edited to retain the voice of the interviewee.
