Internship Experience @ RDA Legal, Kolkata: Very Friendly Associates

Name of the Organization

Rohit Das and Associates, Law Firm

City

 Calcutta

Duration

Minimum one month. Period can be increased on request and only if the Senior Associate is satisfied with the work.

Timings

Monday to Friday was the general work period. It depended on the discretion of the Senior Associate (and the work load) to ask the interns to work on a Saturday or not.

Office timings were from 10 am to 6 pm but it generally depended upon the work load.

Office

It is situated at a convenient location at Beck Began, Calcutta. The office was spacious and included a well stocked library. Apart from the Calcutta office, RDA Legal has offices in New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai.

The Legal Team comprised of Advocate Rohit Das, Managing Partner, Advocate Surajit Chatterjee, Senior Associate, Advocate Soumik Das, Associate, Advocate Abhyudhay Bhotika, Associate.

Application Procedure

One has to apply at least 3 months in advance. CV has to be sent to surajit.chatterjee@rdalegal.in along with a cover letter. Once you receive a reply, you can follow up telephonically. The office number will be there in the reply mail.

Accommodation

Though I do not have much information (being a resident) in the frontier of availability of hostels and PG’s, I can assure you, that the city being Calcutta, accommodation and food will never be a problem.

First day

Due to reaching the office quite earlier than the prescribed time, I was subjected to verification by the suspicious concierge of the building. Later I was introduced to the really polite and helpful staff.

A previous internship had left me cynical and bitter so I was really surprised at the reception. Mr. Chatterjee was introduced as the in change of the interns, who after a formal inquiry assigned me several works with specific time limit.

Main Tasks

This internship was magnificent when it came to work. Since previous internship work mainly included counting pillars in a court room from an invisible corner, I was expecting similar treatment and work from this office.

Instead I was given work ranging from case drafting, argument drafting, memorandum drafting, including analysis of statues of Company, Property, Tax, Criminal, Labour and Mining Laws.

I was personally asked to draft a special leave petition by the Managing Partner himself and upon finishing it on time was generously praised by both the Partner and the Senior Associate. Research base work is appreciated but result base and focused work is preferred.

I was also included in the team conducting a due diligence on behalf of the firm. Ignorance on a subject matter is not ridiculed but ample time is given to read up on the same and deliver the work.

Excuses are strictly not welcomed. When stuck anywhere in the course of completion of the work, any staff will be happy to help you. A slight chastisement in the form of gentle admonition was met in case a flawed work was submitted.

Work Environment and the people

Since I was thoroughly treated as a professional, respected as the same, and given ample work to sharpen my professional armour, I have no complaint against the staff. Even the domestic help was really sweet to me!

Associates preferred that I call them Soumikda and Abhyudhay over the cold and formal Soumik Sir and Abhyudhay Sir. They were pretty friendly, appreciative of my loquacity and approachable although being seniors by significant number of years.

The Senior Associate might seem to be really strict initially but if seen beyond his craving for perfection and professionalism, you will come to respect him, his work, his attitude toward his work and most importantly his love for his work.

Advocate Rohit Das, the Managing Partner, was one of the most humble successful lawyers I have ever met. He rarely admonishes, but frequently appreciates. His humility is without the slightest tinge of arrogance which usually accompanies individuals who receives such success at such a young age like him.

Best Things

Mostly everything.

Bad Thing

The anticipation of the reception of the work done was the only bad thing I can think of in the internship. But about the city, beware of the Calcutta heat.

The weather is generally blisteringly hot, just like the temper of the people. Avoid confrontation if you are commuting.

Apologize if you hurt someone by mistake and try and walk faster after apologizing. Here everyone smokes, so if you are an asthmatic, carry your inhaler.

If you are trying to quit, try not to breathe on the road. Having an umbrella is a must. Public transport is frequent and varied, but you have to deal with the crowd. There are ladies special trains available in case you are travelling from the suburbs.

There are ladies special buses along with ‘no refusal’ cabs. In case a taxi refuses you, note down the number and run to the nearest traffic sergeant. (White uniform, aviators, grim looking are there at every important traffic signal).

Places to chill

 Park Street are really close to the office and so is Esplanade, two significant places for legal interns ‘to chill’.

Stipend

None

Last words

Any hard working intern looking for an internship, where one will be able to boast of a varied and rich worksheet at the end, and where one will be appreciated as a professional and respected as an individual, can apply here.