Ms. Kanika Kalra is presently pursuing her LL.M. in National and Global Health Law at Georgetown Law, Washington, DC. She has done her 3-year LL.B. from the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. Before that, she completed her B.A.(Hons.) in Philosophy from Lady Shri Ram College for Women.
- Please describe for our readers your LL.B. experience in India. How did you get interested in the domain of health law?
My interest to pursue health laws first evolved during my under-graduation degree where I read about bioethics and philosophy of law. I was deeply interested in this area, which also drove me towards pursuing law. At law school in India, I studied all possible courses to get a taste of medical laws/ health laws, and further went on to pursue some certificate courses and attend conferences in this regard. To get a wholesome picture I coupled this academic experience with internships where I was further exposed to health laws in India. All these experiences put together, I realized my interests lie in the amalgamation of patents, medicine and technology which were being perfectly addressed by the LL.M. program at Georgetown Law.
- Why did you choose Georgetown for your LL.M. in National and Global Health Law? Did you apply for/receive any scholarship?
Besides being one of the most prestigious institutions for legal education globally, Georgetown Law is also one of the best law schools providing a specialization in a niche area such as health laws. At the time of applying, there were 2 things that caught my eye – the number of courses that were being offered within the health law specialization and the education delivery method at Georgetown. Much emphasis is laid on practical learning. Also, the Professors themselves are law practitioners. With all these, I knew Georgetown was the place for me.
With respect to scholarships, I did apply for a couple of them and was awarded the Global Health Law Scholarship by Georgetown University.
- Any tips on how to navigate the application process? How should one approach the Personal Statement?
There is no ‘standard’ personal statement/ statement of purpose. Some Universities mention the courses they want to be addressed in the SoP, others don’t. My advice – Be original and honest and really explain your journey.
- The pandemic affected higher education plans of students all over the world. How has Georgetown adapted to the new normal?
Like all other Universities, Georgetown too went online, teaching the entire semester through Zoom. That never came as a barrier though! Students and teachers put in a little extra effort, but we were all able to connect well.
Another initiative worth mentioning is how Georgetown allowed for one-semester deferrals. Therefore, many like me started in the spring rather than the fall semester. With this ease, students could save themselves from the added pressure of when to start the course without wasting any further time.
Georgetown has also been extremely considerate about what the students have been going through during the pandemic, acknowledging the home stretch and offering all sorts of guidance and sessions to ease our academic pressure. With the University being this considerate, you have a lot of incentive to perform better.
- Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? Any advice to the individuals who are planning to pursue their LL.M. from the U.S.?
This is a tough question! Coming to Georgetown has been eye-opening in a lot of ways. The impression with which one comes to the University changes with all the opportunities you have here. I have explored so much and been able to hone on a lot of my skills, which together has changed my perspective. I am therefore exploring my best plans for the next five years!
For the students who are applying this year, all I want to say is, applications for LL.M. to the US are fun and based on my one-time experience, it looks like they evaluate your personality on a whole instead of focusing on any one side of you. Enjoy this process as much as you can. All the best!