Adv. Akshaya Kaushik Interview
Q. To begin with, could you tell us about your journey into law and what inspired you to pursue a career as an advocate?
My journey into law is quite interesting, and it continues to grow as I still have a lot more to learn from it.
I enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in 2014, but my preparation for this profession started long before I was even sure about entering the field. My father is a lawyer, making me a second-generation legal professional. However, the initial idea of becoming a lawyer didn't come directly from him, at the time, I was simply experimenting with different career options. I originally wanted to pursue an MBA and start my own business, but after finishing school, I felt confused about how I would manage a business. It required extensive social interaction and networking, whereas I was a complete introvert. I decided to pursue a law degree thinking it would give me options to join a corporate setup or work under someone, allowing me to interact less and focus more on behind-the-scenes work. I always assumed I wouldn't start an independent chamber because dealing with clients, judges, and the legal community required more socializing than I felt comfortable with.
By my fourth year of law school, I had experimented with multiple BPO jobs, sales, running my own placement firm, and politics, but I hadn't found true fulfillment. I asked a friend to connect me with a senior lawyer for an internship, which secured me my first placement. I worked there for three months before briefly stepping away from the profession, as my initial expectations differed significantly from reality. After taking a few months off, I re-entered the field, this time under a different senior.
I must acknowledge that being a second-generation lawyer comes with distinct advantages. Around the seventh or eighth grade, I used to accompany my father to court, and observing him as an aggressive criminal lawyer passed on valuable wisdom early in life. Watching your parent deal with clients and argue in court provides unique exposure to the courtroom environment.
When I resumed my legal work, my new senior was an honest and decent mentor. Spending most of my time at the Tis Hazari Courts under his guidance taught me the true essence of advocacy. He and other seniors instilled in me that this profession is not just about financial gain, but about principles and good deeds. From that point on, I fell in love with the practice. I gained extensive exposure, working as a Law Officer at Sachdeva New P.T. College, teaching at Rahul's IAS institution, and eventually establishing my own independent chamber starting with my first consumer court client. Given my introverted nature, building a significant social media presence still surprises me.
During this journey, I also met my wife, Advocate Jyoti Singh. Together, we have trained more than 100 students in workshops covering courtroom experience, cross-examination, client dealings, and advocacy techniques across various legal genres as we continue to expand our practice.
Q. You have built a strong presence by making legal concepts accessible to the public. What inspired you to take legal awareness beyond the courtroom and onto social media?
My primary inspiration was observing the common public's lack of legal awareness, seeing people at police stations feeling fearful, helpless, or resorting to paying bribes due to a lack of knowledge. Having observed the legal system from a young age while accompanying my father, I gained deep insights into its power and mechanics. My core motivation developed early on: to help those who cannot help themselves.
Unfortunately, our school education system does not make law a mandatory subject so that citizens naturally learn their fundamental legal rights. My online work is an effort to address that gap and make essential legal knowledge available to everyone.
Q. You regularly address practical legal issues that people meet in their everyday lives. How do you decide which topics are important for your audience to understand?
I don't overcomplicate the selection process, I focus on the issues I handle in my daily practice. Dealing with diverse clients and real-world cases every day gives me direct insight into what the public faces. People connect with practical, everyday situations rather than complex or obscure legal subjects. For instance, the general public rarely needs to hear about arbitration law in their daily lives; they care about household, civil, and personal legal matters. A creator can only address these ground-level issues if they are actively listening to and solving them as a practicing lawyer. Addressing fundamental social issues builds both a grounded legal practice and an engaged audience.
Q. Many people hesitate to seek legal help because they find the legal system intimidating or expensive. What would you tell someone facing a legal problem who does not know where to begin?
Go and sit in a courtroom for a day. You will observe countless ways people navigate their legal challenges. You will see people experiencing disappointment, others finding satisfaction in their efforts, and some achieving victory. Watching the process helps demystify it. Alternatively, consider the long-term impact of leaving a legal injury or violation unaddressed, taking action is often the necessary path to resolution.
Q. As an advocate and content creator, how do you balance simplifying the law for a general audience while keeping the nuances that legal issues often require?
It comes down to knowing what information is essential for the public. A lawyer must exercise discretion regarding how much detail to present. For instance, if medical professionals were to stream full surgical procedures online, it might create unnecessary fear among patients rather than educating them. Similarly, explaining legal concepts publicly requires professional judgment and maturity to share helpful knowledge without overwhelming or misleading the audience.
Q. Looking ahead, what is one change you would most like to see in the way ordinary citizens understand and engage with the Indian legal system?
I would like to see a restoration of public trust in our legal system. Delay in judgments, long adjournments, high legal fees, inadequate communication, and corruption have caused that trust to erode over time. Rebuilding confidence so that ordinary citizens trust the judicial process is the primary change I hope to see.
Q. Is there any one book, movie, or series that you would love to read or watch and would also love to recommend to your audience?
Byomkesh Bakshi - both the books and the classic Doordarshan television series.
Bio
Adv. Akshaya Kaushik is a Delhi-based advocate and legal content creator who bridges courtroom practice, legal education, and digital advocacy. Enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in 2014, he runs an independent practice and creates content as @yourstruly_advocate to make everyday legal rights and procedures accessible to the general public. Alongside his wife, Adv. Jyoti Singh, he has mentored over 100 law students and young aspirants through practical workshops on advocacy, cross-examination, and courtroom dynamics.
Interviewed By Ritika Tawar
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