Internship Experience @ Chambers of Advocate M.S. Khandeparkar, Goa: It made me think of litigation as a career option

Name of the organization. City

Chambers of Advocate M.S. Khandeparkar, Goa 

Duration of the internship. No. of days/week. Timings

I did my internship in the winter break which is a preferable time to intern in Goa due to its weather conditions. The internship was for a period of 30 days.  It was from 15 Oct 2013 to 15 Nov 2013. 

How big was the office? Team strength?

The office was small but enough for a team of 5 including me. There is Advocate Khandeparkar who is the head and 3 people under him.

Advocate Gaurish and Advocate Hyder are working under the head but have the liberty to take up their own cases as well. There is a recent graduate, Advocate Bhargav, who helped me understand a lot of the litigation matters, filing, client counseling etc.

Application procedure. Internship contact details

The internship is not available to everyone. It has to be from a special recommendation or close contact. You have to directly call Advocate Khandeparkar for it.

Accommodation: how, where, how was it?

Accommodation is also a problem as it is a market place. I was staying at home so it was not much problematic for me. The court is nearby, walking distance.

First impression. First day, formalities etc.

My first impression was that is a small office and everyone is watching you all the time. There was no playing around or fooling around. Work was important but the head dint put a lot of stress on me.

He used to make me sit in front of him to supervise what I am doing.

Main tasks 

Main tasks included reading and analyzing files, court visits, some other administrative job. There was a lot of learning there. He used to teach me like a professor at times.

He used to tell me how to go through cases and device a solution. How to apply the law was also a major area of discussion.

Work environment, people

The environment was very friendly. Everyone was good and helpful as I was the first intern there. This made work even more fun.

Best things? 

Best things included discussion with head and Advocate Bhargav on recent law points. There were a lot of learning and good people around which made coming to office fun.

It made me think of litigation as a career.

Bad things? 

Bad things were the language problems. I could barely speak konkani or marathi. However, I never missed on anything discussed because I could understand it. Another problem is the weather. Extreme hot and humid even during winter.

What did you do to chill? Co-interns, colleagues

Whenever I used to finish work, I used to go home, as I lived nearby. But there are a lot of joints and centers to eat and chill. I was the youngest so they made sure I go home by 6. 

Stipend/month

There is no stipend. However, the learning was what I appreciated more.

Anything else you’d like to tell; Biggest lessons

The only thing that works in these offices is knowledge and skill. If i get a chance, I would like to intern there again