Voluntary Internship Scheme at the Law Commission of India, New Delhi (Unpaid, 4-8 Weeks, Rolling)

The Law Commission of India is a non-statutory body constituted from time to time by the Government of India in the Ministry of Law and Justice, Department of Legal Affairs. It works on legal reform, law and policy development and modernisation of the legal system, and its reports on the reform and repeal of laws feed directly into legislative and policy decisions.

The 23rd Law Commission of India was constituted by a notification of the Ministry of Law and Justice dated 2 September 2024. Paragraph 8 of that notification records that the Commission may develop a partnership network with reputed law universities, law schools and policy research institutions in India and abroad, and may provide internship opportunities to fresh graduates and students of law from recognised law colleges, schools and universities in India under its voluntary internship programme, with the details to be published on its website.

Guidelines for voluntary internship at the Law Commission existed earlier, but the Commission found a remodelling necessary in light of its terms of reference and the present-day requirements of its legal research and law reform projects. In supersession of the previous guidelines, the Commission announced the Law Commission of India Voluntary Internship Scheme by a notice dated 8 May 2025, effective from 1 July 2025.

The Scheme is aimed at giving undergraduate and postgraduate law students, as well as law scholars, an opportunity to gain practical experience and a deeper understanding of the Commission's research-oriented work in legal reform, law and policy development and legal system modernisation. Selected candidates engage directly with the drafting, analysis and review processes that shape Indian legal policy.

The Scheme expressly states that the internship is on an unpaid basis and that it does not by itself confer any right to future employment with the Law Commission of India.

• Law students who, at the time of making the application, have completed at least 2 years of the 5-year law degree course, or 1 year of the 3-year law degree course, at any recognised University, Law School or Law College.
• A candidate is entitled to apply for an internship under the Scheme only once during a financial year.
• The Chairperson of the Law Commission has the power to relax any of the conditions of the Scheme in respect of a deserving candidate.

The internship is ordinarily for four weeks. It may be extended on the intern's request for a maximum period of eight weeks, subject to the recommendation of the supervising officer and the approval of the Chairperson. Internships are available throughout the year, based on the requirements of the Commission.

The maximum number of slots offered under the Scheme will not ordinarily exceed twelve at any point of time, though the Chairperson may alter the number of slots to such extent and duration as deemed fit.

Interns ordinarily work at the Law Commission's office, defined in the Scheme as its present place of work at Lok Nayak Bhavan, 'B' Wing, 2nd Floor, Khan Market, New Delhi 110003, or any other place of work notified from time to time. Depending on circumstances and the nature of work, hybrid or remote working options may be considered at the discretion of the competent authority.

Interns may be required to:

• Conduct legal research and analysis on existing and proposed legislation as well as on judicial decisions.
• Conduct legal research and analysis on any report made by the Law Commission with reference to contemporary requirements.
• Assist in drafting research papers, consultation reports and working documents.
• Participate in seminars and discussions organised by, or teamed up with, the Commission.
• Compile case laws, statutes, comparative legal materials and literature reviews on assigned topics.
• Assist the Chairperson, Members and Research Officers in ongoing work and studies.
• Carry out any other work related to studies as assigned by the competent authority.
• Submit a short research paper or digitised presentation at the end of the internship.

Interested and eligible candidates send their applications in the format appended to the Scheme as Appendix A, which is printed on the last page of the notification PDF. The Appendix A form asks for personal and contact details, date of birth, name of the university or institute, educational qualifications from secondary school onwards with year of passing and percentage (CGPA or SGPA to be converted into percentage), subjects of interest, an optional declaration of Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe status, the semester or year of the course presently being pursued and its duration, the duration of internship expected, particulars of the Director or Head of Department of the institute with contact number and email, and a statement of the purpose of the internship.

Every application must be submitted only in online mode at lci-dla@nic.in, at least two months in advance of the intended starting date of the internship. Incomplete applications will be rejected and no correspondence in regard to such an application will be entertained.

The following must be submitted along with the application:

• An updated CV.
• A scanned copy of the ID card issued by the candidate's institution.
• A scanned copy of a signed and stamped letter of recommendation from a professor or dean of the candidate's institution.
• A scanned copy of the latest or last marksheet received from the institution.

Selection is made by a screening committee on the basis of academic performance, the quality of the statement of purpose and the availability of slots. Selected candidates are notified by email.

On the notified date and time, a selected candidate reports to the Law Commission's office along with ID proof, a passport size photograph, the original recommendation letter from a professor or dean of the institution, and the original of the latest or last marksheet received from the institution.

Every intern is expected to attend work on a regular basis and to mark attendance for a minimum of 75 per cent of the duration of the internship. Where attendance falls below 75 per cent, no extension of the internship period is allowed and no certificate is issued.

A certificate is issued to the intern at the end of the internship after evaluation by the competent authority of the research paper or digitised presentation, and an assessment of the work done.

Interns must maintain strict confidentiality with respect to all materials and information they come across during the internship, and any publication or external communication based on work done during the internship must be cleared by the competent authority in writing. Violation of confidentiality or misconduct results in immediate termination of the internship and communication of adverse remarks to the intern's institution, apart from any other action proposed by the competent authority.

There is no application fee. The internship is unpaid and the Law Commission of India pays no remuneration or expenses. All expenses related to travel, accommodation and the like must be borne by the intern, who is required to carry their own laptop or essential gadgets and stationery.

Selected interns are provided access to the Commission's library, legal databases, internet facility, workspace and other work-related necessities during the period of the internship, subject to availability and norms, and under the control of the supervising officer.