Legal internships play an important role in bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world practical knowledge for law students. In our country, the Bar Council of India (BCI) makes a mandatory provision of internships for obtaining a law degree. Law students must complete at least 12 weeks of internship for the 3-year LL.B course and 20 weeks of internship for the 5-year LL.B course as per the 2008 Rules of Legal Education and Rule 25 of the Advocates Act, 1961.
However, in reality, many internships reduce students to passive observers, limiting them to carrying files, merely watching court proceedings and occasionally conducting research, without giving them a chance to make meaningful contributions.
It not only dilutes the learning process, but also erodes the profession's capacity to train future lawyers. If the Indian legal system is to graduate students who are equipped for the demands of advocacy, corporate practice, or policy work, internships must shift from observation-based roles into substantive, contribution-focused engagements.
During their internship, most students end up sitting in a courtroom gallery, observing hearings and trying to understand the proceedings without context. In chambers, interns may be asked to do clerical work like making photocopies, move from one courtroom to another with the seniors, “Google” case laws or type dictated notes, with little explanation of the broader strategy. At corporate firms, the work might be limited to proofreading or formatting documents, without understanding their relevance to the transaction or litigation.
Observation of court proceedings can be helpful because it helps interns understand courtroom etiquette, structure, how arguments are made, how advocates tackle questions of judges and the rhythm of proceedings, but it cannot be the core of the internship. Observation without active participation leads to passive learning, where students may leave without improving their drafting skills, analytical abilities, or procedural understanding.
Law students spend years studying different statutes, case laws and legal doctrines. Without practical engagement, their knowledge remains abstract. When a law student first drafts a plaint, bail application, or writ petition and assists in structuring a cross-examination, it gives them confidence and helps them apply their theoretical understanding in real-world contexts.
Nowadays, top law firms focus on practical knowledge of the candidates like drafting skills, in-depth legal research and effective client dealing. Students who do their internships seriously contribute substantively, setting them apart in a competitive job market.
Equally important for interns is active involvement in real cases, which enhances their understanding of the profession’s ethical and practical dimensions and courtroom demeanour. Interns gain first-hand exposure to client counselling, the importance of confidentiality and practical exposure that no classroom lecture or textbook can truly substitute.
If internships are to really become impactful learning experiences, there need to be structural changes in law offices and cultural changes in law schools. The first step could be a clear pre-internship briefing as, unfortunately, interns are too often sent without the slightest idea of the work they are to handle. Law firms, chambers and NGOs can make major improvements by sharing a brief plan outlining the nature of matters, expected contributions and available skill-building opportunities.
Task-oriented legal work should be assigned to interns. Assignments should be suitably varied, like research relevant to an ongoing matter or case rather than theoretical queries; drafting of petitions, contracts, or submissions; and preparation for attending cases, such as analysing witness statements or making notes for a hearing.
This can be reinforced with a structured mechanism of feedback. Even 15-30 minutes of weekly review by seniors can bring clarity, corrections and explanations of the rationale behind legal strategies.
Lastly, internships must provide opportunities for students to interact with clients - at least in a non-confidential context - so that interns can master the skill of explaining technical legal jargon to non-lawyers. Law schools also have a role in incorporating performance in internships into academic evaluation. Rather than simply accumulating hours, students have to be graded on their practical knowledge like drafting skills, in-depth research and summaries of cases, so that the emphasis is on substantive learning, not just token participation.
The responsibility to make internships valuable lies equally on both seniors and juniors. Students must approach their seniors with initiative, treating the opportunity as a platform for active engagement rather than passive observation. They should not wait for instructions from seniors; they can offer to summarise daily court proceedings or volunteer to prepare research notes on current issues relevant to the office’s work. Seniors should help them understand the practical working of the court. This would help develop curiosity in law students about new legal nuances.
Senior advocates, law officers, judges and corporate mentors, in turn a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of legal professionals. Mentoring an intern is not merely a matter of courtesy; it is an investment in the profession’s future. By assigning meaningful work, giving assistance to interns and providing constructive feedback with some stipend as a token of appreciation, they can help develop interns' practical skills, professional ethics and confidence in their abilities. Many of today’s interns will one day become advocates, co-counsel, corporate professionals or even judges, and the training and guidance they receive now will have a lasting impact on the competence and integrity of the legal profession.
Harsh Raj is a 3rd Year Law Student at DR. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University, Sonepat.