Law students can hugely benefit from internships. They need to be aware when and where to intern. COVID times have presented a challenge in this regard. This presentation would help the students in securing proper internships and help them in their career.

1. INTERNSHIPS
IN
COVID TIMES

2. Presentation
by
MAJOR GENERAL NILENDRA KUMAR
Director
Lex Consilium Foundation

3. What is internship ?
• The position of a student or trainee who works in an
office, usually without pay, with a view to gain work
experience.
• It is one of the modes of clinical legal education
• At times internship is obligatory to satisfy
requirements for a qualification like for a CA or AOR.

4. MODES OF PRACTICAL TRAINING OR CLINICAL
LEGAL EDUCATION
1. Legal writing
2. Internships
3. Mock trial
4. Moots
5. Legal Aid
6. Community Lawyering
7. Due diligence
8. Client interviewing

5. OBSERVE & DO
•Internship compliments classroom learning.
•It is a period of training when students work under
supervision and learn practical application of
classroom teaching.

6. BENEFITS
• Internships helps the students in school to work
transition.
• Successful internships are strong market indicators to
future employers. The skills acquired through
internship make one market ready.

7. •An internship is an opportunity to observe and
practice application of statutory and procedural law.
•While the academia lays the foundation, the
application of that knowledge is grasped by
internships.

8. ADVANTAGES FROM INTERNSHIPS
1. Trains in application and practice of law
2. Explains the purpose of particular law
3. Indicates the connected applications and necessities
4. Helps law student to select suitable career choice
5. Assists in developing contacts

9. POLICY
• Internship should follow the passage of law school
curriculum.
• An exposure to internship , howsoever valuable,
would be of little use if the student falls short of
attendance or gets a back paper .

10. ADVICE
• If possible undertake continuous & regular internship.
• Routine of fully residential law schools may not be
conducive to regular internships. The day scholars
have no such limitations.

11. • Avail opportunity to join the chamber of a practitioner .
• Attend after college hours, intern on weekends and
vacations.
Morning Afternoons,
weekends & holidays

12. COMMON MISTAKES DURING INTERNSHIPS
1. No proper planning
2. Not a graduated approach
3. Tend to go for big names
4. Absence of an urge to learn
5. Certificate sought as a souvenir
6. No written evidence of learning

13. WHERE TO INTERN
• Rather than a Senior Advocate, advisable to intern
under a busy trial court advocate.

14. INTERNSHIPS IN DIFFERENT SEMESTERS
• A connected and sequential plan that would help in
reaching dream destination (career choice).

15. SEMESTER DURATION IN WEEKS WHERE TO INTERN
I One Information Commission / Law Library
II six Local Court / Consumer Forum/ Local Body ( Municipality, corporation , Cantt.
Board ) etc.
III one Police Station / Prison /NGO/Social Activists
IV six PSU / Govt. Office/Judicial Office / State HRC/ NHRC /CWC /NCPCR
V one Industry/Bank/Embassy/Hospital/Think Tank/ Foundation/ UN Agencies
VI six Distt. Court / Tribunal / Undertaking /Corporate Law office / Trade Union /
Political party
VII one Media /Law publishing / Bar Council / Regulating Authority / IGO
VIII six High Court / Supreme Court /National Authority / Legal Branch of Defence Forces
/ Lok Ayukta / MACT / Election Commission
IX one PG teaching Institution in law / Legal Aid Authorities / Law Commissions
X twelve Any of the above at discretion of the students. Preferably career choice.

16. • Remember the above are not the only options.
• The plan is illustrative. The students
may choose the option as is most
beneficial to them.
• A similar approach can be adopted by students
enrolled for three years law degree.

17. ILLUSTRATIVE ROAD
MAPS
CRIMINAL PRACTICE
1. Trial Advocate ( Magistrate )
2. Police Station
3. Prison
4. Legal Services Authority
5. Office of Prosecutor
6. Forensic Lab/CID
7. Mahila Police Station/ Children Court
8. Cyber/Economic Offences Wing/ NDPS Officials
9. Trial Court ( Session Judge )
10.High Court

18. TAX PRACTICE
1. Tax Practitioner
2. Office of ITO
3. Office of a Dy. Commissioner IT
4. Chartered Accountant’s office
5. GST office / excise/custom duty offices
6. Banks / financial institutions / RBI /SEBI
7. Tax Tribunal / IRDA
8. ICAI/ Authority for Advance Ruling
9. Ministry of Finance or Corporate Affairs
10.CAG / Enforcement Dte. / Bank Ombudsman

19. PRACTICE IN A WRIT COURT
1. Trial Court
2. Judge/office of a District Court
3. Sub- Registrar/ Police Station
4. Police Academy/forensic lab/Family Court
5. Law reporter/ law search engine/ILI
6. NHRC / Press Council / Consumer Forum
/ Film Censor Board
7. Election Commission/Competition/Green
/Energy/CyberTribunals
8. High Court Advocate
9. High Court registry
10.Supreme Court / AOR

20. LAW TEACHING1. A court library
2. District / trial court
3. High Court/Tribunal
4. NHRC/SHRC/Election Commission/CAT/
NCPCR/NCW
5. Law Commission/ ILI / ISIL
6. National Law Schools/reputed law colleges
7. Law publishing house / media
8. National /State Judicial Academy
9. Supreme Court
10.UGC/ BC /higher education department of a university

21. CORPORATE LAW OFFICE
1. Consumer Forum
2. District Court
3. Legal Dept of any company/Export House
4. Regional or higher office of Bank/
Insurance/ GST
5. Competition Commission/Press Council
/ Prasar Bharti/Media
6. NGT/NCLAT/Appellate Tribunal of Electricity
7. ITAT/Aviation/NHAI/Real Estate Company
8. Any Corporate Law Office
9. High Court/ Supreme Court
10.Any Corporate Law Chamber

22. STATE JUDICIAL SERVICES
1. Law Library
2. Trial Court Advocate
3. Police Station
4. Trial Court Judge
5. Sub-registrar office/ Notary public
6. District Prison
7. Public Prosecutor
8. Children Court/ Mahila Thana /CID
9. District Legal Services Authority
10.Coaching for Judiciary Exam

23. CLARITY OF PURPOSE
• Clearly plan and decide what all you would like to
learn at a particular internship.

24. DIARY RECORDS
• Maintain a date-wise diary of internship to record
proper progress , mistakes made and observations.
• It should be a truthful and accurate account.
• The intern should submit the diary, when needed, to
recount the type and nature of work.

25. BENEFITS
• May help in law school viva-voice
• A testimony during job interview
• Helpful in securing post graduate admission

26. INTERNSHIP CERTIFICATE
• A testimony of the experience gained indicating the
type of work performed , duration and any special
achievement.

27. AVOID
1. Causal and ad hoc approach
2. A tendency to copy what others are doing
3. Internship to clash or overshadow academic norms

28. JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP
• Law students act as legal assistants whose duties vary
from court to court and judge to judge.

29. SUMMER SCHOOLS
• A large number of students attend without adequate
idea and planning.
• Should be availed only when the students have been
taught the applicable law.

30. CHALLANGES DUE TO PANDEMIC
1.Physical contact difficult
2.Difficulty in access to library and search engines.

31. ON THE OTHER HAND, SCOPE FOR
1. E- internships
2. Multi internships
3. Save time & expenses on travel.

32. HOW TO GO ABOUT SEEKING INTERNSHIPS
1. Carefully identify whom to intern with.
2. Avoid already crowded options.

33. APPLICATION SEEKING INTERNSHIP
• Should be carefully and truthfully drafted.

34. WHAT TO SAY
1. Clearly identify yourself
2. Spell out your strong points, e.g. moots,
publications, seminars, research,
locational advantage etc
3. Bring out your career goal/aspiration.
4. State how this internship will help in
your career.

35. SEARCH ENGINE AND LIBRARY
1. Try to avail special offers for students packages.
2. Build your own library specially of bare Acts.

36. GAIN EXPERIENCE
• Working independently.
• WFH
DO’s
1. Be punctual and adhere to timelines.
2. Don’t exceed brief or task assigned
3. Maintain confidentiality.
4. Make a list of your doubts or questions and project
them at one time.

37. DONT’s
1. Disturb your superiors unnecessarily or frequently.
2. Brag about internship on social media or otherwise
3. Be careless in communication skill.

38. CONSULT
HAND BOOK
ON
CLINICAL LEGAL EDUCATION
by
Maj Gen Nilendra Kumar
And Neha Chaturvedi
Universal Law Publishing Co.
Pvt Ltd

39. CONCLUSION
• The students may seek career guidance and
counselling to determine their individual choice. A
well formulated internship plan would help them hit
the ground running after getting a law degree.

40. ANY QUESTIONS?
THANKS.