In an 11 September letter sent to the registrars and heads of all law schools, and to the secretaries of all state bar councils, the BCI wrote:
“It is noticed that some of the Universities/Colleges are sending their students for internship during academic session. The students can only take internship during the vacation (academic session is not on). The Universities/Colleges are directed that henceforth they should send their students for internship to the Law Firms, Senior Advocates only when there is a vacation of Universities/Colleges.”
BCI secretary Jogi Ram Sharma, who had signed the letter, commented: “As per ‘university’ rules [students] are supposed to go on internships. But when the academic session is on, if few go for internship, while the rest are having classes, how will the shortage [of students in a lecture] be accounted [for]? So all students should go for internships together [during the vacations] and not turn by turn.”
Sharma said that there would be no exception to this new direction, whether students arranged internships on their own or the internships were college-arranged, and whether the student were admitted in a national law university or elsewhere.
When asked about application to students of the 3-year LLB in colleges such as Delhi University or Government Law College, where many students intern all year round, he said: “In the Bombay University September and October is the vacation [period]. [The colleges] should say that [they] will organise internships for all students during this time and not allow them to go during classes.”
Sharma said that there would be no exception to this rule even for students who meet the university attendance requirements despite interning during the semester. “If out of 60 in a class, 20 people are interning how will the class be filled? We cannot regulate this way.”
If students were allowed to intern if they fulfilled attendance percentages, everybody would bring in a certificate, said Sharma, which the BCI was not open to.
Around this time last year the Supreme Court banned interns from entering its premises on Mondays and Fridays, on the request of practicing lawyers, while this year the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) banned interns from its main canteen during 12:30 to 2:30 – the lunching hours of practicing lawyers.
Hat tip to Mohit Singh for letting us know about the BCI letter on Twitter.
Comments
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
@ Prachi: Its *cough cough* for everyone ;)
[b]Don't comment just for the sake of commenting please.[/b]
It is best you talk about your own college and refrain from talking about other colleges you haven't been to.
It is best you talk about your own college and refrain from talking about other colleges you haven't been to.[/quote]
No true, wrong information. Students from NLSIU do internships, miss classes and do a lot of hanky panky to please their law firm would be masters. Even students of other nationals do it. Unhealthy practice and glad that BCI has done something about it.
Secondly trying to do internships behind the back of recruitment committee is supremely risky. Internships within the major firms are facilitated through RCC and if it is found out that they are doing 'hanky panky' they risk being kicked out of RCC and reducing your chances of getting a job at the end of your college career.
You are a troll. You are saying things which are untrue and defamatory. And judging from 'No true, wrong information' I doubt you are from any institution of actual credence.
classroom teaching has its benefits which you guys just dont want to understand..For the record, I dont say you shouldn't be allowed to do internships! I agree that is GLC's (and now MNLU, Mumbai's) greatest advantage of being in Mumbai. However, I think GLC neglects classes way too much.
Ever wonder why NLS / NLU / NUJs / NLIU / NALSAR grads dont need articleship, or why firms dont insist on them? I'm aware of grads from these colleges that wanted to sign articles post graduating, but their partners simply refused saying "you don't need it".
There are a ton of corporates/ NGOs/ CA Firms to intern at.
Personally, practical knowledge of our profession is more important that classrooms though we cannot undermine the value of classrooms too..So overall, a nice decision, if implemented.
If a writ is not filed now, we may see another DU-FYUP like situation a couple of years down the line, with the BCI attempting de-recognise universities/degrees.
It is 66.67% naa? Hehe
I agree with other comments on this thread that if all GLC students were to turn up one fine day, the college would have a great time finding even standing space for everyone. The quality of teachers and level of infrastructure at GLC is incredibly pathetic. Naturally, the place does not attract top level students - those who go their out of choice are those who plan to work throughout all or most of their academic year. The place also does not attract top level firms for internships - students find their own interships. Don't be fooled by the "placement committee" - they get firms to come to campus only on paper but in reality most do not offer anything to the students. If anyone had any sense, they would wind up that sorry mess of an educational institution and put everyone out of their misery.
Have also heard that Rao turned down MU's offer to make GLC autonomous (which would have made it possible for the institution to rid itself of many government imposed evils such has lack of funds and teachers) because she did not want to lose her pension.
Good times.
Also, why should a student waste his entire day,like where his college hours end by 10-11 AM- all the months (except of course, the "vacation period" of the colleges) doing nothing, or whiling away his time at the college campus, or whatever? Isn't it logically better to intern & get some experience?!
In any case, our curriculums are such that they provide not even 10% practical knowledge to the students- & internships are the only way to gain some.
Restricting that as well will only lead to more poorer condition of the legal-education system.
Besides, what a student does AFTER his college hours, is NOT at all BCI's business.
They should better concentrate on planning & sticking to the schedules of Bar Exams & setting up higher standards for the same- instead of wasting their (& our) time over such nonsense activities.
Since you're clearly still upset about it, happy to talk it through with you some time, even here, however off-topic it is.
Kian, I did not name any individual. Stop grandstanding in public. Let us not reduce LI to such a low level by filtering comments that amount to reasonable free speech. Ok?
Once again, it seems that the authority for regulating the legal profession in India does not give a $hit about following the law!