US-based Indiana University Maurer School of Law has initiated a secondment program under which six of its students will be sent for summer internships in four Indian law firms, three non-governmental organisations (NGO) and an additional solicitor general’s office this July.

The selected students are a part of the law school’s new Global Legal Profession Center that offers students experiences in a variety of settings with the current focus on India related opportunities in the legal field.

Amarchand Mangaldas, Bhasin & Co, Jyoti Sagar Associates (JSA) and Clarus Law Associates will host Erica Oppenheimer, Renee Turner Nicholas Dau-Schmidt and Jillian Rountree respectively.

Oppenheimer will also work with the additional solicitor general Parag Tripathi after finishing her stipulated training period at Amarchand while Turner shall intern with the Dalit Foundation besides Bhasin & Co.

NGO’s such as Jagori and Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) - Bharat are going to place students Zachary Holladay and Erin Mihalik.

Head of the India Initiative at the Center professor Jayanth K Krishnan told Legally India: “India is the place that a lot of law schools have been ignoring and we are interested in it by sending out students.

“The programme is really geared towards law students who have completed their first year of law school.”

“We are already thinking about next year’s programme where we can extend to. We’d love to have our students placed in the elite Bombay-based firms and then we want to move into having our students work for litigators and the Supreme Court,” he added.

Krishnan said that contributions from the alumni, the university foundation and the Indian community had helped generate funds for this programme, which cover airfare and accommodation in India.

All six of these students who are also the recipient of Stewart Fellowship instituted after Milton Stewart are currently undergoing an acculturation session during which they will be introduced to India’s legal system.

Photo by kevindooley