Internship Experience @ Delhi State Legal Services Authority DLSA, New Delhi

Your Name, College, Year of Study, Email ID

Yash Goel, University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS), Panjab University, Chandigarh, 1st Year, yash.goyal0022@gmail.com

Name of Organisation, Location, Team Strength

Delhi State Legal Services Authority, New Delhi, A 1st floor at Patiala House court complex.

There are around 25 people (lawyers + staff).

Application Process

DLSA offers internship twice a year i.e., Summer and Winter

For the summer internship they release the form in the month of April.

Duration of internship and timings

Duration of the Internship was For 20 Days ( 5th July to 25th July).

Timings always depend on the particular work but usually it is from 11 am to 4 pm but the timings were flexible and if the work gets done before time then interns are allowed to leave early.

First impression, first day formalities, infrastructure

This time DSLSA for the first time introduced a 2 day Para Legal Volunteers Training Programme . We were given a full schedule.

In the programme we were given lectures by some eminent Judges and Jurists.It was very knowledgeable.

Main tasks

The main Motive behind this internship is to make the students gain practical knowledge about Ground Level Realities. We were Supposed to have field visits daily. We visited the following places:

1-Tihar Jail
2.-Police Station, Mandir Marg.
3-Supreme Court Legal Services Committee, SCI
4-Delhi High Court Legal Services Commiitte, DHC
5-Visit to MM Courts, Saket Court Complex, New Delhi
6- Observation Homes
7- Child Welfare Committee (CWC)
8 -Gender Resource Centres (GRC)
9- Patiala House Court
10-NGO
11- JJB -Juvenile Justice Board

Our main task was to see the working of the place and to know the ground realities of the Law and implementation of the Law at Ground Level.

Work environment and people

Exploring new places daily and mainly in the New Delhi, was really a great experience.

In June temperature was around 45 degree which made our task more difficult.

I would Suggest that no one should Dd DSLSA internship in the month of June (Courts are closed and temperature normally is very high in June). Go for July Internship.

We were a team of 14 people and all of us coordinated well.

Best things

To know the ground realities of law, one has to go and search the law at the ground level and DSLSA provides the same to the individual.

We all get practical knowledge about our future work also.

So these things were the best part but for me personally the best part was visiting the Tihar Jail.

Bad things

1- Too much traveling in the hot weather of Delhi and no stipend being awarded

2- Lack of Coordination.

Stipend

None

Biggest Lessons

‘There is a Lot of Difference Between Legality and Reality at ground Level.’