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Post by vedantmehra on Apr 25, 2022 6:03:34 GMT
On Saturday, I went for brunch with my Big, Adrian, his previous Little, Lucas, and Lucas’ Little, Colton. This outing was definitely one of the most fun experiences I’ve had during my short time at Kappa Alpha Pi. We left at around 10:45 in the morning, and arrived at around 11:15. The first thing that came up was how Adrian was disappointed in our brunch fits, and to be fair, I can’t blame him. Next time, I will definitely up my game (my bad for wearing a hoodie to brunch). We found a fun, aesthetic restaurant, whose name I can’t remember right now, and ordered some food (I got a loaded omelet with avocado and sourdough on the side) and orange juice for the four of us. The orange juice was particularly delicious, and for some reason, the waitress kept refilling our glasses before we could reach the bottom. She was also disappointed in Lucas’ inability to drink his orange juice faster, which was hilarious. The most interesting part was that the orange juice somehow had the ability to make us have a lot more fun. It was probably a placebo effect considering that it tasted really good, and was cold and refreshing on a sunny day.
I learnt more about why our family, Empire, is the best family in the house, from Adrian and Lucas. We also spoke about how the pledge process had been so far for the Alpha Pi pledge class, and for me in particular, in terms of the challenges we’ve faced, our perception of the process, and what we expect to come. Adrian reassured me that we’d get through the pledge process while making many valuable memories along the way, which made me believe that as time progresses, we will get more used to the hectic nature of the pledge process and eventually working through it will become like second nature to us. He told me a little about some of his experiences while pledging, and that even though every pledge class will face challenges, it just brings everybody closer in the end. Moreover, we spoke about some of the experiences other pledge classes, like Lucas’ Alpha Omicrons, had during their pledge quarter, and how so much of what seems extremely stressful now will actually just end up as a funny story to tell. We also had a great, in-about cultural identities and conflict around the world, relating to our own cultural backgrounds. I definitely learned a lot more about Adrian at brunch. While I already knew he had a great sense of humor, I could now see more of his unique, vibrant personality. I’m grateful to have him as my Big, and I believe that we get along really well.
One thing that stood out to me was that Adrian ordered two dishes just for himself. As someone who can also eat a lot, I’m glad my Big can too. I’m looking forward to some massive meals together in the future. Unfortunately, since Adrian was driving back, he couldn’t have any orange juice because memories of its flavorsome nature would be too distracting for him on the road. After brunch, we were all so tired that Colton, Lucas, and I had to go straight to bed and take a much-needed nap. An afternoon of great conversation, good food, and refreshing orange juice needed to be properly appreciated in our respective beds. This kind of casual outing was definitely something I needed given the otherwise hectic nature of the pledge process. Overall, I had a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to the next time Adrian and I hang out.
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Post by vedantmehra on May 2, 2022 6:59:27 GMT
In this weekend’s journal I’ll be writing about the field of law I would like to work in. While I’m not entirely sure yet what path I want to take in the legal field, I’m currently quite interested in entertainment law. Entertainment law, also referred to as media law, broadly refers to the legal services provided to the entertainment industry. While it may initially sound like an extremely niche field of law, it actually overlaps with other fields, like intellectual property law. Lawyers working in the world of media often work on cases related to trademarks, copyrights, contracts, employment, security interests, advertising, privacy, defamation, and more. A significant part of entertainment law is transactional rather than litigational in nature, i.e. drafting contracts, negotiations, and mediation.
Growing up, I was surrounded by the entertainment and media industry, because my parents worked in it. While I found the creative spheres interesting, I was always more interested in the business side of the industry. Entertainment law requires one to be dynamic, understanding of how people in the industry operate, and aware of the positioning of the massive companies around yourself.
As someone with huge respect for people who work in the arts, I’m excited by the prospect of working with creative talents like actors, directors, and producers to negotiate the deals that push their careers forward. An entertainment attorney negotiates with agents and companies contending for their client’s talents to seek the highest compensation and profit participation that they can. Like any other lawyer, an entertainment lawyer is bound by strict confidentiality agreements because they often represent high-profile individuals who perpetually face the scrutiny of the general public. Over time, as the entertainment industry has evolved through the introduction of OTT (over the top) platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+, the number of people who want to work on the business side of the field has increased dramatically. In general, corporate interests in the media industry have been growing rapidly, and it has very quickly transformed into one of the largest profit-making machines in the world. As a result, many young aspiring lawyers (like myself) are becoming attracted to a field that they feel offers them greater opportunities for rapid upward mobility, media connections, and the demonstrations of their people skills.
One of the cases I’m most interested in is Kesha vs. Dr. Luke. In 2014, Kesha filed a civil suit against music producer Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald for gender-based hate crimes and emotional distress. This case was a perfect example of someone with purely profit-driven goals attempting to take advantage of a vulnerable artist. Such people, quite frankly, disturb me. Unfortunately, the producer ended up suing Kesha for defamation and breach of contract in return. The case ended with a judge declining to release Kesha from her binding contract, which significantly hindered the progress of her career. Even though the world of social media came out in support of Kesha, the court proceedings meant that she gained little actual help. I would love to work in cases like these and support artists whose talent is restricted by money-hungry. While I do want to make bank and buy myself a yacht in Monaco, its cases like these that make me passionate about entertainment law.
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Post by vedantmehra on May 9, 2022 2:56:07 GMT
One of the law schools I’m interested in attending in the future is Harvard Law School. Suits fantasies aside, Harvard would be the perfect place to prepare someone for the highly competitive industry that is law. To start with, Harvard is renowned for its emphasis on experiential learning. In order to bridge the gap between theory and practice, Harvard requires all first year students to participate in a skill-based course called the January Experiential Term. During this term, students enroll in courses that focus on the development of skills such as teamwork and self reflection. As someone who values the lessons one can learn from actual real-life experiences, I find this aspect of the Harvard law program extremely exciting. Moreover, Harvard also recognizes the importance of developing certain key skills that are crucial in the professional development of a lawyer. Examples of these skills include legal research and writing. In this regard, first year students at Harvard participate in the annual Ames Moot Court Competition, one of the most prestigious competitions in the country for appellate brief writing and advocacy. This gives students a serious incentive to practise their legal writing skills (imagine how good beating your entire class at Harvard Law would feel).
Moving forward, Harvard is probably the first name that pops up in anyone’s head if the topic of conversation is the best universities for aspiring corporate lawyers. While the program of study is extremely competitive, its rigor would definitely prepare anyone for a career in the business law space. Harvard’s Law and Business program covers a wide range of topics, including real estate law, tax law, business litigation, and more. It also covers broader topics that are applicable to many different areas of business law, such as accounting, finance, and micro/macroeconomics, which enhances one’s understanding of the most important features of corporate law, such as mergers, vertical distribution arrangements, and other market interactions. Furthermore, these courses would be taught by some of the world’s best faculty, consistently ranked in the top 5 by US News. Harvard Law School is also famous for the massive presence student organizations have on its campus. One such organization that I’d love to be a part of is the Harvard Association for Law and Business, a group that routinely sponsors speaker panels and workshops on business related topics such as venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, hedge funds, and more. It would also be a great opportunity to network with like-minded people. Similarly, Harvard Law School hosts a large number of prominent journals related to the legal field. While it would be an amazing experience to write for the Harvard Business Law Review, I believe the law journals give you an opportunity to delve into another field of law that interests you, so that you can diversify your perception of the field as a whole. As such, I’d love to be a part of the team that works on the Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law, the Harvard Human Rights Journal, or even the Harvard Journal of Law and Technology.
An important factor that needs to be considered carefully when deciding the post graduate school one would like to attend is its location. While I’ve never been to Cambridge, Massachusetts before, the fact that it is extremely close to downtown Boston is very important to me. I’m definitely someone who needs to live in or close to a big city, where there are tons of people, lots of places to explore, and an active nightlife. To put it simply, I’d get super bored in a small college town, which was also one of the reasons I chose UCLA for my undergraduate degree.
Lastly, one of the main reasons I’d want to go to Harvard Law School, beyond the quality of the program, the expertise of its professors, and the extracurricular opportunities, is simply its reputation. Harvard Law School is renowned for its notable alumni - 8 sitting US senators, former President Barack Obama (who was also President of the Harvard Law Review), numerous supreme court justices around the world, chief executives at massive corporations, and more. In conclusion, although Harvard Law School is probably the most difficult place on the planet to get into, I would love to attend it and experience the world it would set me into after graduating.
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Post by vedantmehra on May 24, 2022 0:17:30 GMT
The non-governmental organization I would like to work for is the Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD), which is located in Mumbai, India. The Welfare of Stray Dogs is the largest animal-based non-profit organization in Mumbai, and they’re dedicated in their mission to improve the living conditions for stray dogs across the city. They carry out multiple programs that help stray dogs, such as mass sterilization programs, rabies vaccination drives, food drives, and more. They’re extremely committed to their mission of eradicating rabies and controlling the stray dog population in Mumbai. Mumbai has a massive stray dog population, which makes it extremely hard for them to survive. These dogs generally have extremely difficult living conditions - they are vulnerable to disease, starvation, dehydration, and animal cruelty. Most of the urban stray dog population consists of mixed breeds that have been allowed by humans to breed uncontrollably over time even in environments that don’t suit their physiological needs. In general, there are two features that create and sustain the conditions for street dog populations to explode - first is the large source of exposed garbage, which provides these dogs with a food supply, even though it is extremely unhealthy for them, and second is the large quantity of slums wherein people keep dogs as free roaming pets but can’t afford to actually take care of them. I’ve always had at least two dogs growing up and so they’ve been a massive part of my childhood and adolescent years. My family has always adopted our dogs from shelters too, and it pains me to think about what happens to the dogs that never get adopted. I would love to work with the Welfare of Stray Dogs because it would bring me genuine emotional fulfillment and I would enjoy the work I’m doing. I would much rather help stray dogs than humans because they’re completely innocent beings, have no voice, and currently have very few people working to make their lives better as compared to most other non-governmental organizations. In particular, I would love to be trained in giving emergency first aid to stray dogs on the street and coordinate taking them to vet clinics. The Welfare of Stray Dogs is extremely open to volunteers willing to receive such training too. They hold multiple free to attend workshops year round that are geared towards giving volunteers basic first aid skills so that they can help any dog in need when they see them. I would also like to work at the clinic that they have set up in the city that specializes in vaccinations and sterilization. When I was in high school, my older sister worked at a similar organization because she too is passionate about this cause. Watching the work she did was extremely inspirational - I always told myself that when I’m older my priority in terms of philanthropy would be to do similar work or at the least donate money to organizations like the Welfare of Stray Dogs that are working day and night for the cause. I remember us showing my parents the organization’s website and convincing them to make annual donations towards them. Generally speaking, I’m not someone super geared towards philanthropy, but this is definitely a big exception. I would love to do my part, however small or big it may be, as I believe that it’s a moral duty for people who have the extra resources to contribute towards social causes that are bigger than their own lives. Moving forward, I want to make helping stray dogs a more active feature of my life, and commit to their wellbeing. They’ve done no wrong and do not deserve the lives they live.
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