Law interns get some practice

NEW DELHI: Rishab Yadav had thought that his first encounter with criminals would be inside a courtroom once he becomes a lawyer. He was in for a surprise recently when he got a chance to have a one-on-one interaction with hardened criminals lodged in Tihar Jail.
"I met three-four criminals convicted for murder and I was surprised to find how well-qualified they all were.I spoke to them about their problems and got to know how the judiciary works,'' said Rishab, who is studying law at Delhi University.
Like Rishab, many other law students are being taken to various places by the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to sensitize them to racism, gender bias, child rights and law and order issues. DLSA has taken 130 budding lawyers from from across the country as "interns'' for a month-long training programme.
Besides getting a first-hand experience of the working of judiciary, these law students are also doing the legwork for the ongoing projects in Tihar, slums and rural areas. Earlier, retired ADJs used to be roped in for such projects. However, this time it will be the law students who will do field visit and make a report.
Explaining the concept, Sanjay Sharma, project officer of DLSA, said: "We have introduced summer and winter internship for law students to give them an insight into the legal aid mechanism and schemes framed by state government for the benefit of the vulnerable section of society. DLSA is the first legal authority in India to provide this unique platform to students to put their legal knowledge into actual practice and take initiative to reach out to the weaker section of society.''
The idea was mooted by the Delhi High Court after the CJI on February 21, 2009, called on all the legal services authorities in the country to undertake such internship programme. The DLSA has become the first such authority to implement it.
Students from law faculty of Delhi University, National Law School of Bangalore and Dwarka, NALSAR and Amity school among others have been taken as interns. DLSA is also giving them a daily stipend of Rs 100. The students will be awarded certificates after completing the internship.
Even students from other streams who need to study legal issues as part of their course have joined the internship. Ruchi Sharma, a BSc (home science) from Delhi University, is doing the internship to get legal knowledge about women-related issues. She feels that the programme has given her a new dimension to think. "I am now planning to pursue LLB and want to provide legal aid to poor people,'' she said.
Ruchi was taken to various NGOs where she met the counsellors and learnt more about dowry-related issues. "It is all very inspiring and I intend to extend my association with DLSA in whichever way possible,'' she said.