How did you apply- If the prospective intern visits the website of the MP State Legal Services Authority, Jabalpur, there is a separate page for internship section. There one may find the relevant details on application, schedule and activities for the internship.
Basically, one has to email the MPSLSA whether he/she wants to intern with the MPSLSA or one of the District Legal Services Authority. If DLSA, then we also have to specify the particular district that we aim to target. The email should also read the preferred dates for the internship. The Secretary, MPSLSA then sends the permission letter via an email to the preferred DLSA and the interns are then supposed to coordinate with the DLSA officials.
MPSLSA email Id- mplsajab@nic.in
Indore DLSA email Id- secdlsaind@mp.gov.in
First day formalities, infrastructure, first impression- The interns are expected to collect the internship schedule from the front office of DLSA Indore. Here, we can expect to have certain interactions with the staff of the office. The staff may then take the interns to meet the Secretary/District Judge of the DLSA Indore. The Secretary will then brief the interns about the schedule and future course of action. We met HHJ Shri Manish Srivastava Sir who is Additional District and Sessions Judge and the Secretary of the DLSA Indore. He gave us the schedule for the internship and other important details.
My Co-interns were-
- Himanshu Ahirwar (3rd year student, National Law Institute University, Bhopal).
- Pragati Mandloi (3rd year student, National Law Institute University, Bhopal).
- Yashwant Manothiya (3rd year student, National Law Institute University, Bhopal).
- Devanshi Tiwari (1st year student, Institute of Law, Nirma University, Ahmedabad).
- Ronit Rampuriya (1st year student, National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi).
Main tasks- The schedule of the internship required the students to visit, observe and work in the following bodies/organization/places: –
- Juvenile Justice Board, Indore;
- Observation Home, Indore;
- Child Welfare Committee, Indore;
- Children’s Home, Indore;
- Senior Citizens Home, Indore;
- National Lok Adalat at Indore District and Sessions Court, Indore;
- Central Jail, Indore;
- District Jail, Indore;
- Mental Hospital, Indore;
- JMFC Court, Indore;
- Sessions Court, Indore,
- Family Court, Indore;
- Labor Commissioner’s Office, Indore;
- Observe and understand the working of Front office at DLSA Indore;
- Indore Consumer Forum, Indore;
- Interaction with the DLO Indore;
- Interaction with the Secretary, DLSA Indore.
Work environment- The people we met during the internship were very kind and helpful. We had the opportunity to closely interact with legal aid officers/lawyers and judges. The office staff and the concerned officers were very interactive and freely reachable.
Good things and bad things-
Good things:
- Physical internship in the age of craze for online internships.
- Almost all the areas associated to law in a particular district covered.
- Good internship for beginners.
- Different areas of law covered.
- Easily gettable internship.
Bad things:
- The infrastructure throughout the places visited was not up to the mark.
- The front office of DLSA Indore is very small and is not able to accommodate the interns properly.
Stipend (if any)-No, but the experience received was priceless.
Accommodation, commuting to office- Indore is a hub for colleges and coachings. There are innumerable hostels/flats and PGs available throughout the city. For the people interning in DLSA and who are outsiders, Areas near Geeta Bhavan is the best. There is an amazing student crowd in that area with a fab night life.
If you have a vehicle then you are good to go, but if not you can easily get Rapido bikes, Uber/OLA autos and Cabs are dirt cheap prices.
Anything else? Like: what you did to chill out, lessons learnt etc-
- I would like to specially thank Mr. Digvijay Singh (NLIU’ 06) The District Legal Aid Officer for helping us throughout the tenure of the internship. He was very prompt in helping us as and when we reached out to him. He also offered us dinner at a luxury restaurant towards the end of the internship and we are grateful to him for all the help.
- Indore is no less than a metro city it has a tribe of crazy pubs and happening restaurants.
- I would suggest that if you are applying for an internship with DLSA, please get on board your college friends to, you will learn and enjoy at the same time.
- Pictures