Systematic, transparent and enviable: the internship scenario at Government Law College
About the college: — Government Law College is older than the Bombay High Court itself, and has maintained great standards throughout its long history. It comes as no surprise to us then that it is among the best law schools in the country, and that it has produced a President, a Prime Minister and several Chief Justices of India among other very distinguished alumni (including Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, L.K. Advani and M.G. Ranade). The Bar Council of India calls it the “unarguable giant in Indian legal education”. We set out to discover what the internship culture in GLC was like, and we weren’t disappointed.
About the internships and the Placement Committee:– We asked students about their internships and the Placement Committee’s role, and they had nothing but praise to offer; spoiling all our attempts to make this article look objective. For instance, this is what Rubin Vakil, a student, had to say:
The Placement Committee has always played a pivotal role in the life of every student who enters GLC. It has set a new milestone of efficiency and co-ordination at every step of its journey. Right from their interaction with students, to their co-ordination with law firms, to the quality of the firms which participate in the recruitment programme, it is organizational brilliance personified.
What sets it apart:– Shruti Rajgarhia, General Secretary of the Placement Committee, says that GLC’s location is its biggest boon when it comes to internships. GLC is located in Churchgate, walking distance from the Bombay High Court and several prominent law firms. Classes are held in the morning, and students are free to intern wherever they like for the rest of the day; and consequently GLC students can intern all through the year without much hassle.
Top recruiting organizations: — Some of the best firms in the country have recruited GLC students for internship/articleship programs: J Sagar Associates., Khaitan & Co., Barucha & Partners, Talwar Thakore & Associates, Cadbury/Kraft Foods, Platinum Partners, Parimal K Shroff & Co., Somandy & Associates, Kanga & Co., D.M. Harish & Co., GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd., and Chambers of Mahesh Jethmalani.
What the Placement Committee has to say:– Ananya Gupta, who worked for the Placement Commitee, tells us:
Being a part of the placement committee was an enriching experience. It gave me an insight into the requirements of the legal profession. It taught me team work. I also learnt how to deal with difficult situations and come up with prompt solutions. Also, I got an opportunity to interact with the recruiters and gauge their recruitment criteria. Over the years, GLC placements have considerably improved. There has been a sharp increase in the number of firms which have approached the college for on and off campus placements. Also, the functioning of the committee has become more systematic. The placement website is absolutely terrific. Updates relating to interview schedules, firm profiles, etc are regularly uploaded.
In my case this was the first time that I was going to intern and I couldn’t have asked for a more comfortable experience in securing my first internship. I have already completed a month of internship and it has been a great learning experience in a very healthy work environment. I am grateful to the Placement Committee for assisting us students in the smooth acquiring of internships and for bringing the best firms right at our college steps.
At Internshala we have always maintained that internships that matter play a bigger role in a student’s life than is commonly thought. GLC has helped us realize that great internships are also necessary for the nation’s development, no matter what field it is. And in a field as important as law, we are glad to say that GLC is doing wonderful work.
