Law Internship Stipend in India: What to Expect

Most law internships in India pay nothing or very little. A small number of institutions pay a fixed stipend, and a few large firms pay more, but there is no standard rate and no rule that requires one. If an advocate’s chamber offers you work experience without money, that is ordinary and not a sign that something is wrong.

What the available evidence says

There is no official national data on law intern pay, so be careful with any website that quotes an “average”. Two sources are worth knowing about, and both are older and small.

• A Law Student Survey reported by Bar and Bench in March 2021 drew nearly 300 students. Of the 80 who gave stipend figures, 36 said they received no stipend at all. Those who did report an amount averaged roughly Rs 2,500 a month.
• A Careers360 report from January 2022 quoted students, not official figures. One said tier-1 firms paid a fixed Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,500 a month and that top national law university students could get around Rs 10,000. The same report said most firms did not pay students from outside the NLUs, and that in litigation only a small share of lawyers paid anything.

Treat these as a rough picture of 2021 and 2022, collected from students. Pay varies by city, firm, your university and the year. Some firms stopped paying for online internships during the pandemic and have not all returned to earlier practice.

Why so many internships are unpaid

Three reasons come up again and again. First, litigation chambers are small and the senior advocate’s income is irregular, so there is rarely a budget line for an intern. Second, the Bar Council of India has not framed stipend rules. In November 2021 a petition asking the BCI to frame internship rules was dismissed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which said a law student cannot be a liability to the BCI or any establishment. Third, supply is large: there are many more students who need internship credit than there are paid places.

None of this means unpaid work is worthless. A month in a chamber where you attend hearings, read case files and draft applications is often better training than a paid month of filing and photocopying at a large office.

Who tends to pay

These are patterns, not promises. Check the current notice every time.

• The National Human Rights Commission. Its in-person four week summer and winter internship, according to the NHRC website, pays Rs 12,000 plus a third AC train fare from your institute to Delhi and back. Its two week online short term internship pays Rs 2,000. Eligibility includes at least 60 percent in Class XII and in the relevant semesters, and you cannot have attended an NHRC internship earlier.
• Some large law firms and corporate legal departments. Amounts vary and are usually decided firm by firm.
• Some NGOs and research bodies offer a small allowance or a travel contribution, not a salary.

Who usually does not pay

• Most advocates’ chambers in district courts and High Courts.
• The Indian Patent Office and other offices of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks. Their public notice of 27 June 2025 describes the internship as non-remunerative, with a certificate issued after completion.
• Police schemes. The Rajasthan Police scheme for law students, reported in August 2026, was described as unpaid.
• The Cyber Crime Branch in Gujarat stated in an older notice that no stipend would be given to any intern.

Government and statutory bodies often offer experience, a certificate and a letter, not money. For many students that exposure is still worth taking, particularly in the first three years.

How to ask without sounding entitled

Do not open with the stipend. Apply first, and raise it only once you have an offer or when the notice itself is silent. A short line works: “Could you tell me whether the internship carries a stipend or any expenses allowance? I am asking so I can plan travel and accommodation.” That is a planning question, not a demand.

If you are told it is unpaid, ask two more things: how many hours a week are expected, and whether the advocate will sign your internship certificate and diary. Those matter more than the money, because your university needs them.

Making an unpaid internship worth it

1. Cap the cost. Rent, travel and food in a metro can exceed what you save by working free. Compare that with an internship in your own city.
2. Ask for the work. Before you accept, ask what interns actually do. Hearings, drafting and research are good answers. “Assist as required” is vague.
3. Get the paper. A signed certificate stating dates, duties and hours is the thing you are really taking away.
4. Mix your portfolio. One paid or stipended slot among several unpaid ones is a good outcome. Do not hold out for pay in your first and second year.

Be wary of internships that charge you

A genuine internship pays you something or costs you nothing. If a site asks you for a “registration fee” or “certificate fee” for a short virtual programme, ask what you receive for it before paying, and whether the certificate will be accepted by your university. Lexfolio’s own virtual internship is free, and the certificate describes only what you did.

What we do not know

We do not know current pay at any specific firm, and we have not listed any because the figures change and are rarely published. If a number matters to your decision, ask a senior who interned there in the past year.