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Virtual Internship Experience at SVS Attorneys, Delhi: Stipend of Rs.12k; Great Work Exposure

Name of the Student

Vinay Chandel

College and Year of Study

Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, 4th year.

Mode of Internship

Virtual/online.

Duration of Internship

The internship lasted for 60 days, including a 7–10 day pre-internship assessment session that came before the internship. Your fundamental learning abilities, honesty, demeanor, and a number of other aspects are taken into account throughout the assessment period. The students are also given the freedom to comprehend the workflow and the expectations of the firm. Because of the assessment criteria and their inability to adapt to the huge workflow, the majority of the students who applied for internships during my tenure were unable to continue past the assessment stage and left midway. The real work begins just after the applicant successfully completes the assessment period and is able to live up to the expectations.

How did you Apply?

The application process is simple throughout. I sent an email with my resume and statement of purpose to Mr. Siddharth R. Gupta at his email address, srg[at]svsattorneys.com. In less than a week, I had the confirmation.

Upon receiving the mail, I was instructed to carefully read and comprehend the “Riders & Disclaimers” (R&D), and only after I had confirmed that I agreed with all of the terms therein the internship will commence.

The process of confirmation of an internship is extremely streamlined and institutionalized.

First Day Formalities, Infrastructure, First Impression

Since the internship was conducted entirely online, there were few formalities on the first day. I was added to the internship group. I received a detailed internship toolkit in advance prepared by former interns & associates of SVS Attorneys.

I was informed about other internship rules, so I was able to complete the task on time on the first day of work, hence the first day went smoothly. It also helped me get used to working in the firm and the other staff and interns were very friendly and welcoming.

I was also told to take guidance from other interns and former interns. The first week (assessment period) was mostly getting to know the working of the firm.

Main Tasks

When my assessment period was over the main work comprised generally of Drafting various Applications, Writ Petitions, Review Petitions, and Amendment Applications/Petitions, conducting research on various propositions, preparing a list of dates, and a synopsis of the most recent cases that will be listed in the upcoming week.

Received tasks such as labeling and paginating annexures and translating documents from Hindi to English. I was also asked to write emails, legal letters/ correspondences to clients, news briefs and media repositories, etc. many times.

I was required to attend client meetings and take notes on the discussions. Even though the internship was carried out via a virtual platform, everything went very well. I was given research on security interest rules and the SARFAESI Act, POCSO, IBC, Limitation laws, etc. and additional research on the subject at hand.

During my Internship period, I learned how to present the research and what to keep in mind when sharing the findings with the Coordinator during that time. In addition, for the first time, I was tasked with drafting a Writ Petition and SLP of the Supreme Court in accordance with the coordinator’s instructions.

Work Environment

Time management, responsibility, perfection, precision and integrity are considerations when working with Siddharth Sir. I was an intern, but the type of work offered was no less than that of an office associate and had the actual pressure that an associate would have.

The work throughout the internship was allotted by Sir, usually with audio clips of him and sometimes over the phone. This was very helpful for my online internship. Sir also gave us the freedom to seek clarification via WhatsApp or voice message, but direct calls were only permitted in case of emergency that too only after prior leave.

Deadlines for submission of works were indicated when works were assigned. The team of Sir & his associates sets deadlines for the interns to complete their assigned tasks. Sometimes the deadlines were very tight and we had to work with utmost efficiency and attentiveness.

We were also advised to follow and adhere to the instructions in the audio clip twice to ensure there are no errors in the work before sending confirmation of work done. It is also advisable to follow the instructions given in the audio clips twice before you send your confirmation regarding work completion, so as to ensure that your work is errorless.

Sir personally checks the work of the interns and guides them on their mistakes during the first few days. However, if an intern continues to make mistakes, an ultimatum may be issued, which I also received twice during my internship.

During my internship, I learned to be precise, efficient, and honest in my work. I had the privilege of attending virtual hearings of cases being heard by the Supreme Court and the High Courts. Although the internship was online, it gave me real exposure to the actual work that an associate or lawyer has to do.

Good things

I had an internship in the 7th semester of my 4th year. Sometimes I got work during classes, but Sir never insisted on working during my academic hours, if there was any emergency. In that case, I had to work otherwise, it was very convenient for me to focus on academics and internship simultaneously.

Sometimes I was busy with university work, but Sir always allowed me to finish my internship work after class hours. Although I had to take time off and Sir always approved, there were many instances where I had to work extra to make up for the work I missed.

And for the first time I realized and understood the work pressure that one shall expect when one aspires to further their career in litigation, this is a very important lesson for career-oriented students. I learned to work under pressure, had to finish work on set deadlines, never missed a day at work, and developed effective time management.

Sir personally interacts to verify the research and drafting, and suggests the changes accordingly before finalizing. It is very important because it made me learn the correct manner of doing things.

Bad things

The virtual intern did not have any leave of absence or time off during the internship, but was granted leave of absence with Sir’s approval. Sometimes I was busy with many tasks before the previous one was completed.

There was no weekend break due to the matters listed on Monday morning and the fixed duration of the 60-day internship. Sir is lenient on the leaves, but the internship period gets extended & rolled over automatically on leaves being taken during the internship.

Virtual interns have no set working hours. You are expected to be available at all times. I had found myself stuck in some other work and many a time unable to be available for the work. I had to work late in the night in order to complete my work, and it was difficult for me to work sometimes due to my classes in the morning. I was always in a hurry because I had to finish my academic and internship assignments before the deadline.

If you make yourself unavailable without prior intimation to incharge associate handling you, then a leave of half a day or full day is counted. This seemed unusual to start with, but taught me an important facet of office discipline. 4 days I was offered mandatory leave because I made myself unavailable without intimating beforehand the concerned associate.

The workload is excessive and very demanding. I had to work tirelessly even till 2 AM when urgency required which happened almost every 4-5th day of my internship. Siddharth Sir is an industry in himself, who makes his whole team work with him for 13-14 hours a day. His level of commitment is expected even from the interns working in his office, for the stipend is subject purely to performance and focus.

Stipend

I was awarded a stipend of 12, 000 INR at the end of my internship, which is purely subject to performance.

Anything Else?

I’ve done a lot of virtual internships, but this was the first internship where I got real exposure to Court work, drafting and how to work in a litigating office, and the amount of pressure that a lawyer can have. It is a great opportunity for litigation-oriented students to learn and understand drafting & e-filing skills.

I learned to respect deadlines as sacrosanct, meeting them. For those who intend to join Court practice, SVS is the must-go place for it puts you through the rigorous grill and prepares you for the worst of urgency for preparing & appearing in your matters.

From morning 6 AM till 12 AM midnight, I witnessed how Siddharth Sirs’ every minute was dedicated to profession & pre-planned. And he ensured that things happen before time, commitment to clients & colleagues is supreme above everything.

He expects the same level of commitment from everybody working with him and don’t join the offices if you lack the potential to catch up with this man of super energy & hawk’s focus, lest you are bound to skip out within a few days.

In my experience, by the end of your internship, you will definitely feel a change in your personality, the way we work and look at things, and how to be more productive.

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Source: Lawctopus

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