I have a hard time navigating the demand for 'Guidance' on Contract Drafting.
I'm approached almost daily by individual students and legal /management professionals, and entrepreneurs seeking my "guidance" on contract drafting, review, and negotiation skills.
First things first. While I'm always happy to share my expertise, the sheer volume of these requests is just overwhelming.
The truth is, many of the people reaching out are looking for quick, one-off solutions - the kind of tips and tricks that can easily be found on Google, ChatGPT, or other AI-powered resources. They want the convenience of personalised advice without the commitment of deeper engagement.
Many of these requests come with a weird sense of entitlement and those seeking guidance would take offence if I inform them about my tight schedule or call a spade and spade.
I am not even comfortable delivering a 1 hour guest lecture on Contracts. The subject is so wide and I am undertaking courses running up to 25-30 hours - what can I impart in few minutes or even an hour? It doesn't go beyond introduction to the subject. Not many law schools or organisations or professionals understand that.
I have been learning the craft for last 35 odd years. How do you expect me to extract jewels from my experiences and pass it on within few minutes?
Unfortunately, I simply don't have the bandwidth to attend to numerous individual "guidance" requests, no matter how well-intentioned. I have an office and a home to run besides my engagements with writing, teaching and training assignments.
My time and energy are better spent on providing comprehensive, high-quality mentorship to a select group of individuals or institutions.
However, not even 1% people are committed to devote any time to learning - they just want a magic pill to swallow which turns them into contract masters. To my knowledge, it's not been invented yet.
There are no short cuts to success in any field of life. Learning Contracts cannot be any different, can it be?
Further, a majority of this 1% gets infuriated when I tell them my time on training them would be chargeable. Most would be outrightly disgusted and others would crib about the volume.
All this results in a very happy situation for me.
Every month, I get to pick only 1 or maximum 2 students or professionals to train. These are the people who actually want to learn, are committed to upscale themselves, know that it takes time, know that my time and efforts have some value. After the training, these people can measure their improvement themselves, apply the knowledge gained into their life immediately.
The bottom line is that I am open to one-on-one or institutional mentoring arrangements. In fact, I welcome the opportunity to work closely with lawyers, law firms, companies and organisations that are genuinely committed to developing their contract management capabilities.
This allows me to provide tailored support, feedback, and ongoing learning opportunities.
However, for those seeking quick fixes or generic advice, I'd encourage you to first explore the huge wealth of online resources available. While they may not offer the personalised touch, these tools can be a reasonable starting point for building your contract drafting, review, and negotiation skills.
And if you're ready to take your skills to the next level through structured mentorship, I'm here to support you. Just be prepared to invest the time and effort required to truly master these critical legal competencies. Contact on ccl@corpcommlegal.in
What are your thoughts on the demand for personalised contract guidance? I'm curious to hear your perspectives.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.