Internship @ Fox Mandal, Kolkata: Stipend Rs. 1500

Name of Organisation, Location, Team Strength

Fox and Mandal, Kolkata, High Court of Calcutta

Application Process

I mailed my CV to one of the Associates and the human resources department contacted me. My reference was a family friend.

Duration of internship and timings

Two weeks. 10 am to 5 pm, sometimes we could leave at 4 pm too.

It mostly depended on the workload.

First impression, first day formalities, infrastructure

The first day formalities mostly included rounds of introductions. The nervous yet warm ‘hey’s from the fellow interns and the crisp, curt replies from the Senior Associates.

We were briefed by the Seniors on the scope of work and were each assigned a case for the next few days.

Main tasks

The primary tasks included reading the briefs of the cases, writing summaries and accompanying the lawyers for a High Court visit.

Work environment and people

The work environment was friendly yet competitive.

While frowned upon by the Associates for doing something as blasphemous as leaving the office early, they even ask to make sure if you’ve had your lunch.

Best things

The best thing about interning at Fox and Mandal is the access to the firm’s library which is a treasure chest of legal expertise.

Bad things

The prevalent corporate politics has an overall detrimental effect on the firm.

While the NLU pass-outs have their noses raised high in the air, the juniors and interns from Government colleges are polite and work humbly.

Stipend

Rs. 1500

Biggest Lessons

I learnt that those school textbooks of moral science were all right.

Patience and hard work are the keys to success, but if your success includes a law firm, extremely sound observational skills come in handy as well.

Any Other Thing

Also realised the difference having a good senior can make.

They help you cement those foundation blocks of your career which ultimately gives shape to the future.

Having a good mentor in your initial days helps you go a long way.