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An Overview of the Bar Council of India’s Updated Internship Regulations

Legalwiki

08 Jul 2025 — 3 min read

About BCI

The Bar Council of India is a statutory body created by Parliament to regulate and represent the Indian Bar. They perform the regulatory function by prescribing standards of professional conduct and etiquette and by exercising disciplinary jurisdiction over the Bar. We also set standards for legal education and grant recognition to universities whose degree in law will serve as a qualification for enrolment as an advocate.

The Bar Council of India was established by the Parliament under the Advocates Act, 1961. The following statutory functions under Section 7 cover the Bar Council’s regulatory and representative mandate for the legal profession and legal education in India:

To lay down standards of professional conduct and etiquette for advocates.
To lay down a procedure to be followed by its disciplinary committee and the disciplinary committees of each State Bar Council.
To safeguard the rights, privileges and interests of advocates.
To promote and support law reform.
To deal with and dispose of any matter which may be referred to it by a State Bar Council.
To promote legal education and to lay down standards of legal education. This is done in consultation with the Universities in India imparting legal education and the State Bar Councils.
To recognise Universities whose degree in law shall be a qualification for enrolment as an advocate. The Bar Council of India visits and inspects Universities or directs the State Bar Councils to visit and inspect Universities for this purpose.
To conduct seminars and talks on legal topics by eminent jurists and publish journals and papers of legal interest.
To organise legal aid to the poor.
To recognise on a reciprocal basis; the foreign qualifications in law obtained outside India for the purpose of admission as an advocate in India.
To manage and invest the funds of the Bar Council.
To provide for the election of its members who shall run the Bar Councils.

BCI rules and regulations on internships before the latest amendment.

Internship rules were largely determined by the specific organization or institution offering the internship. There wasn't a uniform set of regulations governing internships. Moreover, internships were seen as a way for students and recent graduates to gain practical experience and supplement their education.

Even though internships were considered to supplement their education, the legal protection and benefits for the interns were limited. The recent amendment is focused on improving the internship experience by addressing issues like fair compensation, working conditions, and legal protections for interns.

Latest BCI Rules and Regulations on Internship

Rule 25 of Part –IV Rules of Legal Education addresses the rules on internships:

a) Internship duration and places:

If you’re in a 3-year law course, you must complete at least 12 weeks of internships during your studies.
If you’re in a 5-year law course, you must complete at least 20 weeks of internships during your studies.
Places: NGOs, Courts (with trial or appellate advocates), Judiciary (courts/judges), Legal authorities and regulators, Legislatures and Parliament, Law firms, companies, banks, etc, Local government bodies, Other places where law is practised or managed.
No single internship can last more than 4 continuous weeks at one place and Every student must do at least one internship with trial or appellate advocates during their course.

b) Internship diary and Evaluation:

You must keep an internship diary in the format your university gives you.
Your diary will be checked and marked by both your internship guide and a faculty member each time you intern.
The total marks for all your internships will be given in your final semester, as part of your practical/clinical course.

These internship rules ensure law students gain essential practical experience through mandatory internships and proper evaluation. Following these guidelines helps build strong legal skills and prepares students for a successful career in law.

Click here to check the official rule for more detail