Sworn by law: Keralite Yamuna bags 18 gold medals at NLSUI, to join Cambridge for LLM

Yamuna with her family

It was one a humongous win for Yamuna who secured the first rank in the BA LLB examination conducted by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru. For, it was not just one medal she won but 18 in categories like the best student, first-rank holder and so on. This is the largest by any student in the history of NSUI and the record will probably remain unbroken for a long time to come. 

The total number of medals the NLSIU gives out a year is 38. And, Yamuna has bagged almost 50% of medals. Her CGPA grading was 6.67 out of 7.

Yamuna decided to pick Law after her Class 10. It was then that she met senior lawyer E X Joseph who had recently retired to his native place after a long stint in the Supreme Court. He had sought Yamuna’s help to transcribe his book of verse. She started helping him and it was only incidental that she also intently heard anecdotes of major cases and arguments in the apex court from the lawyer. 

First case

Yamuna had to present her first case – to pick law as her profession – at home. Her parents, Mohan and Usha, wanted her to choose medicine or engineering. She had studied science in Class 12. She did not secure a rank when she took the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) the first time but had a place on the engineering rank list. 

Yamuna opted not to join engineering and instead started preparing vigorously for the entrance exam. Sher secured 28th rank in the test the next time and chose to study at NLSIU. 

A window of opportunity

NLSIU opened up a huge arena of opportunity for Yamuna, like for many other students. There were exchange programmes and mentorship of bright legal minds from India and abroad, including judges from the Supreme Court. She could visit London and Singapore for moot court events. She visited Australia on a leadership training programme and Nepal as part of a youth delegation.  

NLSIU imparts the course in a three-month trimester system. 

To Cambridge

Yamuna is all set to pursue her Masters in Law (LLM) at the Trinity College under Cambridge University on a scholarship. The focus will be on international law. She had also secured admission in Oxford but opted for Cambridge. 

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