BCI drafting Model Code to ensure fairness in law internships: Law Ministry tells Parliament

The Central government told Parliament on Friday that it has no plan to introduce a regulatory framework mandating a minimum stipend for law interns.

However, Union Minister of State for Law & Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal stated that the Bar Council of India (BCI) is drafting a Model Code of Legal Internships.

The same was revealed in a response to a Parliamentary question posed by Praveen Khandelwal asking whether there was a framework standardising stipend, fair selection, internship conditions and grievance redressal for law students who intern with advocates, law firms and corporate legal departments.

The Law Ministry stated that the BCI's Model Code would aim to ensure "fairness, transparency, and accountability in the structure and administration of internships offered by legal practitioners, firms, and institutions."

Last year, the BCI issued guidelines recommending a minimum stipend for junior advocates assisting senior advocates, law firms and independent practitioners.

For junior lawyers in urban areas, the recommended minimum stipend was ₹20,000 per month. In rural areas, the recommended amount is ₹15,000 per month, to be provided for a minimum period of three years from the date of the junior advocate’s engagement.

However, the minimum stipend is not mandatory.

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