No guidelines mandating minimum stipend for law interns under consideration, Govt tells Lok Sabha

The Centre on Friday told Parliament that it’s not working on any framework or guidelines mandating a minimum stipend or honorarium for law students interning with advocates, law firms and corporate legal departments.

However, in a written reply to a question, Union Minister of State for Law & Justice (Independent Charge) Arjun Ram Meghwal told the Lok Sabha that “the Bar Council of India is presently engaged in the drafting of a Model Code of Legal Internships, which aims to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability in the structure and administration of internships offered by legal practitioners, firms, and institutions.

Under the Advocates Act, 1961, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has been given the mandate for the regulation of Legal Profession and to take out legal reforms, Meghwal said.

In October last year, the BCI had issued guidelines recommending a minimum stipend for junior advocates (Rs 20,000 a month for urban areas and Rs 15,000 a month for rural areas) assisting senior advocates, law firms and independent practitioners. But it wasn’t mandatory.