FROM TARGET LINES TO LEGAL LINES: A JOURNEY

Advoate Likhith N R

There are some journeys that are built quietly, without applause, without shortcuts and without certainty. For mine, was one with discipline, resilience, and constant reinvention. A trip that was a mixture of the silence on the range and the intensity of the courtroom.

Before I became a lawyer, I was first taught what focus was about, through shooting. Being a National Rifle Shooter, I honed over many years to keep my cool, learn to trust in precision rather than panic, and to understand that great success can be made when the mind refuses to give out. Shooting helped me to learn the value of patience, discipline, and mental strength which would later come in handy in the legal profession as well as in athletics.

It was in the range which became my first classroom. It gave me that lesson: excellence is never a fluke. All shots required preparation, control and consistent execution. I have seen some things that gave me pride and other things that put me on my test of confidence. But the sport was more than just a game of medals, it was a game that shaped my character.

Along with sports there was another rigorous activity which was LAW.

Being a student while also having to compete in shooting was no easy task. There were days when the desire for sleep got the better of me than the desire to get ahead, but I never thought of quitting. My studies in law were carried out with the same spirit with which I followed my career in sport and I managed, with great commitment, to graduate from the Law School, and to continue studying Criminal and Security Law.

As time went on, I learned that advocacy and shooting were not two separate worlds. They both needed to maintain calm when faced with stress. Both demanded precisions. Both were brave enough to stand firm when the chips were on the line.

While I was doing my internships and legal training, I learned things about justice that I had not known before. Duties included criminal, civil, cheque dishonour, domestic violence, and legal aid cases. I noted that justice is sometimes more about whether people will be willing to stand on the side of those who are not being heard than the law itself.

It's this awareness that has given my partnership with Dhwani Legal Trust a lot of meaning.

Dhwani Legal Trust is not just an organisation; it's a collective change for the people who are missed by the justice system. It's dedication to legal aid, legal awareness and community-led legal advocacy embodies constitutional values.

It's not just a job start, but a job begin in responsibility as a fresher who joined the organisation as an Associate. I love the work environment of the practice which is focused on legal excellence and social impact. Every day I'm here, whether I am doing legal research, writing, helping clients, or educating the public about the law, I am reminded of what made me choose to do this job.

While today's arena is no longer a shooting range, it's still the same mindset that's being employed in courtrooms and communities.

When I was shooting, I learned how to shoot accurately.

In law, I learnt how to fight with purpose.

One thing that has always been in my head is that success isn't about when I fall behind, it's about when the journey gets hard and I still persevere forward. For after all, discipline leads to strength in both sport and law, and purpose gives discipline direction.