Law Internships in India: Rules, Where to Intern and How to Get the Most Out of Them

Every law student in India must complete a minimum internship before graduating. Under Rule 25 of the Bar Council of India Rules of Legal Education, students of the five-year course need at least 20 weeks of internship and students of the three-year course at least 12 weeks, and no single internship in a year should run for more than four continuous weeks. Internships can be done with advocates, courts, legal authorities, legislatures, NGOs, law firms, companies and other approved bodies.

Internships are where the law in your textbooks meets real clients, real files and real deadlines. They also help you decide what kind of lawyer you want to be. Here is how they work and how to make each one count.

Where can law students intern?

• Trial and appellate advocates: the most common first internship. You attend court, read case files and help prepare drafts.
• Courts and the judiciary: watching hearings and, where allowed, assisting with research.
• Legal services authorities: District and State Legal Services Authorities run legal aid, Lok Adalats and awareness programmes.
• Law firms and company legal teams: contracts, due diligence, compliance and disputes.
• NGOs and human rights organisations: work on access to justice, women's rights, child rights, labour and environment.
• Legislatures, commissions and local bodies: research and drafting support.

The university may approve other bodies too, so check with the college before you accept an unusual placement.

Which internship should I do first?

For a first or second year student, a district court internship with a practising advocate is an excellent start. You see how cases are filed, adjourned and argued, and you learn procedure faster than in any classroom. Later internships can be more specialised, for example with a High Court advocate, a law firm or an NGO working in an area you enjoy. Try to experience at least one court, one organisation and one non-litigation setting before you graduate.

How do you find and apply for an internship?

1. Start early. Apply two to three months before your vacation.
2. Prepare a one-page CV. List your course and year, marks if good, moot courts, legal aid work, papers written and languages known.
3. Write a short, specific cover email. Say who you are, the dates you are available and why you want to work with that office in particular.
4. Ask faculty and seniors. Many good internships come through people who have worked with an office before.
5. Follow up politely once, about a week later, if you get no reply.

What should you do during the internship?

• Arrive on time and dress formally, especially for court.
• Carry a notebook. Note every instruction, every case number and every new term.
• Read the case files you are given from start to finish before asking questions.
• Offer to do research or a first draft. Even if it is heavily corrected, you will learn from the corrections.
• Respect confidentiality. Never discuss a client's matter outside the office or on social media.
• Keep a daily diary. The university practical papers often require a record of court observation and client interviewing.

What should you get at the end?

Ask for an internship certificate showing the dates and the nature of the work. Keep copies of the certificate and your diary, because the college needs them to record your internship, and future employers may ask for them. If you did good work, ask whether you can list the advocate or organisation as a reference.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Choosing an office only for its name without asking what interns actually do there.
• Collecting certificates without doing real work. Interviewers can tell quickly.
• Booking several internships back to back with no time to reflect or study.
• Ignoring the four-week limit for a single internship in a year.

Sources

• Bar Council of India: Rules of Legal Education, 2008, Rule 25.
• National Legal Services Authority: legal aid programmes.

See practical training and internships at Mugil College of Law.