This interview was first published in a student blog.
Name of Organisation, Location, Team Strength
M. N. Krishnamani, Supreme Court Bar Association President, 7
Application Process
Email through his P.A. or call and inquire.
Duration of internship and timings
Post college 3-8, Saturday , Sunday on. But if you go to court then the work hours tend to be 11-8 on miscellaneous days.
First impression, first day formalities, infrastructure
The Cabin is an Amazing 5 star Hotel Room filed with accolades. I talked with the associates who permitted a running internship, they taught me some basics of briefing which I imbibed in other future work. Sir is extremely kind and like a grandparent.
There are paintings by his son, a famous painter all through the office.
The book collection is unique- Sir has English and American publications, a section on his own books and on mythology apart from Law books.
Main tasks
I got to attend conferences, hearings, brief juniors and research contentions.
Work environment and people
Three associates- very friendly and helped me with a few college assignments too! Wish I always be that lucky!
Work environment was respectful, pious, learning and people are extremely dedicated to work! MN Krishnamani Sir’s place is extremely nice and the people involving and cooperative.
Best things
Watching Sir counseling clients! Also, a Supreme Court Senior Lawyer is generally involved in social change. I got to attend one such event chaired by Sir and attended by Mr. Soli Sorabjee and Mr. Mukul Rohtagi
There was good food to follow and staff ensured we ate well and reached safely.
Bad things
I got scolded badly by a junior once!
Stipend
Rs. 2500.
Biggest Lessons
Keep Calm and patience, invest in your hobbies, don’t scold, be humble and the best traits of Krishnamani Sir- Philantrophy and Leadership- he is President, four times, SCBA and encourages spiritual stuff!
Any Other Thing
The market is so inviting , I feel the interns and associates- who became a big bunch of amazing friends- hung out a lot more during lunch hours and it became a habit to eat it Big Chill or Dominos sometimes two-three times a week!
Internship Experience with Rauf Rahim, Advocate-on-Record (AOR)
This article was initially published on a student blog.
Your Name, College, Year of Study
Manushi Desai, Campus Law Centre, Delhi University, Final year
Name of Organisation, Location (city), Team Strength
AOR , Supreme Court of India, 3
Application Process
I worked under Rauf Rahim, an AOR as my very first internship. Go on SCBA website and get the email and contact number.
Duration of internship and timings
Monday- Friday Court Hours, sometimes just 1-4 since I couldn’t miss morning college!
First impression, first day formalities, infrastructure
Sir treated me in the SCBA cafeteria and introduced me to my seniors in law. Got to go to reading room where cases are discussed, conferences sometimes take place and AORs study for the upcoming appearances.
The staff at chamber was very helpful and still notarises official documents I require, types my handwritten classnotes and ensures supreme court visits are not cancelled owing to lack of those special passes needed.
Main tasks
Research, Notemaking , Reading Files and listening to the proceedings to update the junior!
Work environment and people
The junior taught me how to navigate through the crowds of people which fill the corridors on Mondays and Fridays!
Best things
Treats at Sarvana and lots of lassis!
Bad things
“Wear a coat” – Ok, first learning experience! I learnt the courtroom etiquette such as how to address judge, how not to speak from bar to the bench and much more after my first goof up of going to an internship coatless!
Stipend
NIL
Biggest Lessons
I got to learn what are miscellaneous days (when court decides what SLP can be filed and notice should be issued to respondent). Also “Never pay when a senior is around” rule!
The Amarchand Ahmedabad office is a flagship of the Delhi office. You can reach the HR by Calling Amarchand Delhi/ Emailing the Delhi HR.
They send you a form to fill and then select you based on your grades and experience. Alternatively, you can try getting an internship through your college placement cell.
First impression, first day formalities, infrastructure
On our first day at AMSS, Ahmedabad we were taken to a conference room and inducted into the training program by the HR personnel. Later, we were assigned new computers and introduced to the partner, associates and other staff.
An intern showed us how to operate the system which is amazing- LCDs, Fast Processors but has Websense (Web trackers) which means no social networking.
There are a lot of conference room- in case you need to work as a team, you can go to one of them and discuss the relevant issues. The trainees get a shared email id to converse with the partners but they are seated in the same area so you can constantly interact and clarify on any tasks assigned.
Main tasks
Research, drafting and assisting associates in clarifying client’s doubts. If you are lucky, you get to attend the training seminars of the Amarchand teams pan India via webcast and also attend courts and tribunals.
There is a lot of free time around lunch so one can catch up on the latest news, magazines and periodicals.
Work environment and people
There is a lot of infrastructure related work amongst other things so for people interested in due diligence, land diligence and local land laws related to Gujarat, it is Godsend!
In litigation, there are judgments to be printed out, research to be done and research to cope up with hence you always have something on your plate.
The associates at Amarchand Ahmedabad are mostly from Gujarat National Law University and extremely nice.
They ensure you learn and constantly provide research tasks and appraisals. Since it is a new setup (only started in 2012), the staff is relatively young and evenings generally mean a treat by someone in the form of vadapav/coffee or icecream !
Best things
You get to meet new interns, get trained like an associate but at a milder stress level and develop amazing litigation/general corporate law skills!
I personally loved the experience of interning since Ahmedabad has a lot of scope (Modi does market Gujarat Model pretty well!) and there are so many industrial setups around Ahmedabad.
Moreover, the building is located in a relatively new construction, the office has huge rooms for conferences plus the associates are sweet and well versed in their subjects which ensures we get good guidance.
Bad things
The library is yet to be fully stocked but Manupatra and other company resources make up for the commentaries!
There is no canteen in the office, you have to bring your own food but a packed lunch system for out of state interns exists.
Stipend
NIL
Biggest Lessons
Research, read and stay occupied!
Any Other Thing
The Amarchand Ahmeadabd office is swanky with amazing interiors, staff is friendly and the associates provide enough work especially in the litigation team.
One should try working in the corporate team too where I got to draft deeds, research and learn a lot
Campus Law Centre gave the first platform to Kapil Sibal, Kiran Bedi, Mayawati and Arun Jaitley to participate in elections. Kiran Bedi was the first female president of the Law College back in her college days. Smt. I have tried to cover the 2014 Delhi University Law College Elections via this blog post and accompanied snippet which was originally posted on Lawctopus.
Original Article
The Campus Law Center’ 2014 elections will be held on 12th September 2014.
Our CLC Lawctopus Manager Manushi Desai shares information about the candidates and their vision to make Campus Law Centre the best college in Asia.
The Air Force School, Delhi Cantonment College of Jesus and Mary, Delhi University Undergraduate Major: Political Science Native place: Chennai
Family Background:
Pallavi’s father was a pilot in the Indian Air Force and is now associated with a private aviation company. Her mother is a homemaker.
Achievements:
Pallavi enjoys debating and has been the head of Debating Team at TAF School, Delhi Cant. She is an aspiring UPSC candidate. At Campus Law Centre, Pallavi has been actively associated with the Moot Court Society and has participated in 5 National Moots. She has helped organize the College Cultural Festival in 2012.
Pallavi is also a volunteer at various NGOs like the Art of Living Foundation . Her passion for change in the political scenario lead her to participate in the Vote for Better India Campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections and perform street plays to spread awareness regarding voting rights across the Capital.
Friends describe her as active and helpful. She wishes to pursue an LLM from Harvard University in future.
Internship Experience:
Pallavi has interned under Ajay Kohli and Ashok Goel in the Delhi High Court and trial courts.
Agenda:
1. Streamline the admission process to avoid confusion and delays in submitting fees
2. Provide relaxation of attendance rules for final year students upon submission of a valid internship certificate
3. Provide an interactive website for CLC students and constant online updates via facebook, whatsapp and other mediums
4. Encourage students to participate in international moots like National Law Universities.
5. Increase hygiene factor of canteen and carry on inspection of canteen
6. Provide mikes for teachers
7. Change the timetable to suit the student’s schedule and end classes early so students can pursue extracurricular activities
8. Restrict entry in campus for non Law students and others
Nitin’s parents are educationists in the Charkhidadri Bhiwani Town in Haryana while his younger brother is pursuing MBBS from Maharashtra.
Achievements:
Nitin is an avid sports person and has been the Sports Captain at RED School, Haryana. He has been a National Table Tennis Player representing Haryana in TT.
At Ramjas College, Nitin was an active dramatist and also ensured the victory of his roommate Pravin Singh by actively campaigning for him in the 2012 Ramjas Presidential Elections.
He aspires to break the myth that freshers cannot be victorious at CLC elections as he believes it is the innate quality of the person that matters.
At CLC, he initiated the ‘Reuse, Recycle, Reduce’ campaign and proposes to show CLC students the Parliament of India and interact with leaders. He wishes to appear for Judiciary Exams and pursue LLM from Delhi University.
Agenda:
1. Change class timings
2. Improve Drinking Water conditions for CLC students
3. Air Conditioned Library
4. Change the lightings and fans in CLC –something that has been constant since 1970
5. Ensure online fee submission for CLC students in 2nd and 3rd year
6. Improve parking conditions for CLC students and professors
Don Bosco School, Delhi Ramjas College, Delhi University Undergraduate Major: Statistics Native Place: Uttar Pradesh
Family Background:
Saad spent four years in Qatar before moving to Delhi with his parents. His father is with the Saudi Embassy while his mother is a homemaker. He has two brothers and a sister.
Achievements:
Saad had his first brush with politics in school when he contested for the post of Head Boy in Class 11.
He has been General Secretary, debating society at Ramjas College and represented India in a bilateral debate with Sri Lanka at Columbia. He is a standup comedian who performs acts pan Delhi and will be performing at Akshar Theater next.
He has been called to judge debate tournaments at RGNUL Patiala and RMLNLU Lucknow. He intends to enter litigation at Delhi after passing out of CLC next year.
Internship Experience:
Saad has worked with Karanjawala & Co., New Delhi and Sr. Adv. Vikas Bahwa, Supreme Court
Agenda:
1. A transparent and responsible union by holding monthly GBM and dispatching applications for Person In Charge of CLC based on the discussions in the meeting
2. Creating a Student Resource Centre for equipping CLC societies with proper resources and conducting open biweekly workshops on mooting
3. Inviting speakers for legal drafting and creating councils for the same
4. Integrating alumni participation in CLC activities to create active placement cell
5. Make participation in competitions available to all so that CLC is represented on National and International levels at all law related events
6. Create Hindi Case Material available to the 150+ students who write in Hindi and increase quantity of books in the library available for them. Get translated versions of case material through Union Budget to ensure Hindi Students are in the top bracket
7. Create a union debate forum inviting legal luminaries on a weekly basis to talk on current issues such as judicial accountability
8. Influence social service initiatives for students to volunteer at forums such as Justice Juvenile Board, teach English to drivers and other NGO
Abhishek’s father runs a Small Enterprise while his mother is a homemaker.
Achievements:
Abhishek has worked in the Election Commission as Supervisor and is fluent in Russian. He is the Student Wing Convener, Indian Young Lawyers Association. He organized a unique Muzzafarnagar Riot Tour to capture the pain caused to the UP residents.
Currently, he has entered into a workshop program with lawyers across Delhi titled “Introductory Educational Plan Internship Scheme” which received 500+ applications.
Vishnu Menon, Naina Sharma and 150 such students from the applicants get a three day internship with lawyers at various courts to learn courtcraft and advocacy skills in freshman year.
Agenda:
1. Increase coordination between alumni and placement cell and segregate the placement cell into litigation, judiciary and corporate for smooth sailing of placement cell activities
2. Lessen the demand to buy bottled water worth Rs 20 daily by improving infrastructure and hygiene
3. Work on creating an active union and demolish the current passive state of the union
4. Create an accountable union and audit the expenditure by publishing monthly financial statement on the notice board
5. Ensure accessible union members whose first priority is engaging in administrative activities and thus emphasize Active, Accountable and Accessible Student’s Union
6. Create transparency in society activities
7. Change timetable of CLC
8. Allow entry on showing of ID cards and restrict the entry of outsiders in CLC
Candidate V
Name: Sankalp Yadav
Age: 21 Years
Class: 2nd Year
Proposed Position: President
Family Background:
Sankalp is a second generation law student. His grandfather is a Revenue Inspector and his father practices in the Sagar District court. His sister is currently pursuing LLM from NLU Bhopal.
Educational Background:
Vatsalya School, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh Dr. H.S. Gaur University, Madhya Pradesh Undergraduate Major: B.Com
Achievements:
Sankalp has been elected House Captain at Vatsalya School and has been a leader in the Student Youth Front Organization.
Agenda:
1. Increase interaction with the Vice Chancellor on issues such as funding and classroom infrastructure.
2. Improve faculty student interactions and replace passive faculty
3. Change basic necessities such as hygiene and renovate washrooms
4. Make necessary changes to canteen and library
5. Administrative reforms/ office reforms
6. Create an e-library
7. Get speedy allocation of funds of CLC which are pending for approval of VC
8. Make proper seating arrangements in the auditorium
9. Make the union participate in issues more important than freshers and festival
10. Change class timings to suit students
Candidate VI
Name: Pranay Jain
Age: 23 years
Class: Section , 2nd Year
Native: Delhi
Educational Background: Ryan International School Diploma in Diamond Trading and Gemology School of Open Learning, Delhi University Undergraduate Major: Commerce
Family Background:
Pranay’s father is into service at the Central Excise Department while his mother is a homemaker.
Achievement:
Pranay volunteered at the Trailbazers foundation donating clothes to poor people and in the Free Tibet Campaign. At school he created a windmill to power the Chemistry Lab and organized global warming video screening for students. He created a social awareness campaign at humyuva.com during college.
At DU, Pranay has participated in the Tarakshastra Taxation Moot in Chennai and worked with Pangea 3, Thomson Reuters and Adv. A.K.Mishra at CESTAT as an intern. Friends consider Pranay an honest and genuine person.
Agenda:
1. Creating an Alumni society which focuses on alumni meets
2. Using the alumni database to create internship society
3. Increasing the number of members in MCS through more induction of students
4. Improve infrastructure vide getting new computers, library printers etc.
5. Put up a bimonthly progress report on the notice board of union activities
Candidate VII
Name:Brijesh Yadav
Age: 23years
Native: Haryana
Class: Final Year, Section G
Educational Background:
DAV School, Vasantkunj Lingyas College of engineering, Lingyas, Faridabad Undergraduate Major: Engineering (EEE)
Family Background:
Brijesh’s father is a Police Inspector with the Delhi Police and his mother is a homemaker. His elder brother is a Squadron Leader with the Indian Air Force and his sister is a doctor.
Achievements:
Brijesh has been Central Councilor in his first year and represented CLC at the DUSU wining 380 votes , second to only Angellica Abraham.
He intitiated the clean drinking water campaign at CLC and sent a team for the first time to the Sports Festival at NLS, Bangalore in August 2014.
He has organized several fashion shows and also started social intiiatives such as Towards Happy Earth foundation. He wants to litigate in future.
Agenda:
1. Increase non teaching staff to suit the number of students and fix administration issues.
2. Renovate auditorium and get CCTV cameras installed in Library for better security.
3. Motivate students to participate and represent students in moot courts where CLC often goes unrepresented.
4. Intitiate Hindi transalation for reference books and make mikes available for teaching staff.
5. Create an active placement cell
6. Make available a feedback forum for teachers and students where they can post grievances.
7. Protest against the current college changes and reason with the PIC to change the same
8. Improve parking and ensure restricted entry in library through ID Cards
9. Improve student to teacher ratio to ensure better teaching quality by increasing ad hoc quality and quantity.
Internship Experience with Zal Andhyarujina at Bombay High Court
This article was my first publication on Lawctopus. It descirbes my summer internship experience with one of Bombay High Court's rising litigators Zal Andhyarujina who comes from an illustrious family of lawyers.
Name. College. Year of Study
Manushi Satyajeet Desai- 2nd Year, Campus Law Centre, DU
Name of the organization. City
Zal Andhyarujina, Bombay High Court
Zal is a practising Barrister from Oxford which he attended on a Rhodes Scholarship.
He is the son of Mr. Tehmtan R, Andhyarujina who is former Solicitor General of India and an eminent Senior Counsel at Supreme Court of India.
Duration of the internship
4 weeks
How big was the office? Team strength?
Huge by Bombay Standards: clerk’s cabin, pantry with required essentials, a large room for the juniors, generally three – four of them, a cabin for Zal and Tehmtan Sir’s cabin – also used as a conference room.
Application procedure. Internship contact details
You can call and enquire regarding a possible vacancy.
Duration in weeks. No. of days/week. Timings
4 weeks, 5 days a week,
Accommodation: how, where, how was it?
I stayed with relatives in South Bombay –ten minutes away from Fort.
First impression. First day, formalities etc.
Zal is very pleasant and humble despite being considered one of the finest lawyers in Bombay.
The vast heritage of the chambers itself- Zal’s father, former Advocate General T.R.Andhyarujina and Siloo Mam, his wife who studied at Harvard practiced from there- can be overpowering. Zal’s cabin has his daughters’ paintings and other pictures.
You can imagine how relaxed the experience was -Zal told me off twice- Once for calling him Sir (he says , “I have not been Knighted yet”) and once for coming before time)
Main tasks
Preparing notes for briefing and researching, attending arbitrations and hearings and keeping track of the Board. Zal assigns research and drafting to juniors and the interns can be assigned work depending on their skills and level of study.
Zal encourages you to attend conferences and meetings so unlike most internships, one gets a first hand experience of negotiations, client counseling and much more.
Work environment, people
Excellent! There were three juniors who taught me a lot and were extremely friendly too- one of them even figured out bus timetables for me since I was new to the city.
The juniors ensured I had a good experience. I used to hang around with them during lunch and share their laptops if they had any notes to prepare. In courts, they ensured I understood the proceedings and kept me in the loop constantly- even added me on their Chamber’s chat group.
We talked about food most of the time and although they teased me a lot for my Gujju pronunciations – I had a wonderful time. On my last day Zal treated us to Pizzas!
Best things?
I got to attend Arbitrations, Client Conferences and Hearings.
Bad things?
I went during June so the weather was bad, it rained heavily in Mumbai and commute took a lot of time but the associates even gave me a lift in case the work went on till late.
What did you do to chill? Co-interns, colleagues
There is a bakery nearby and Fort, where Bombay High Court is located has a lot of good roadside stalls.The mava cake which we get near the office is to die for.
Stipend/ month
No stipend
Anything else you’d like to tell
I always pestered Zal enroute different courts and tribunals to share his experience as a beginner.
He was very forthcoming about his education in Oxford and the vast difference it made owing to the extreme hard work Oxford demands. Zal also emphasizes the importance of sports and participation in extracurriculars.
Biggest lessons
Don’t lose your cool, take notes and respect the judge always. [Even the Member at COMPAT called Zal by his name (I guess because his surname is too long)]
