MONIKA KOTHIYAL

Year

B.A.LL.B (4th year)

College

Law College Dehradun

Name of the organisation. City. Office Address.

LAWYERS CHAMBER- civil code chamber no.47 District court Dehradun

Application procedure

The application procedure was not the big deal just search the best lawyer in the city or any lawyer you
are comfortable with and talk to him/her for internship.

I did my internship in my hometown Dehradun (Uttrakhand) under my father’s friend Adv. Rakesh
Jakhmola whom I had never seen before my internship just had small conversation on phone.

Duration

JULY 1st – JULY 31ST. Five days a week.

Monday to Friday: 10 am to 4 pm.

Holidays: Saturday and Sunday

Transportation

Commuting was easy the district court was located in quiet posh area and it was a district court so there
was no transportation problem the court was located over a large area so there were many entry gates
even I never counted it.

Dehradun District Court

I reached to the district court (hereafter court). This was my first visit to the court and the court was
unknown for me and not only the court but the advocate too. I reached to the parking area of the court
which was totally full.

There was not a small space where I could fit my scooty but luckily the guard adjusts some space to fit
my scooty in. Now my task was to find out chamber number 47 I entered in the court from gate number
4 and as I entered in the court I was confused the court was totally different, different from that which I
used to see in the television and movies

It was actually a posh area there were chambers all around , the small chambers covering area of
approximately 5sq. ft. Chambers were forming a long chains some chambers were constructed of tin
sheds and some were cemented there were buildings of 2-3 floors and a very congested path to pass by
.It was all confusing the infrastructure of court was not in a systematic way.

The lawyers was professionally dressed up holding 1or 2 files walking towards buildings and their client
were following them and there were number of lawyers moving towards building some were leaving
the buildings, some lawyers were moving towards chambers civilians were moving around, all in all in
short totally so called posh area
I was very disappointed with everything because I had imagined something different from this anyways
it was quiet difficult to reach to the chamber 47 because there were such small path ways to pass in that
posh area.

Somehow I reached to the chamber number 47 and for confirmation I read the name of the advocate
which was written on the board fixed above the entrance advocate Jakhmola. Adv. Jakhmola sir was
busy with his paperwork I knocked the door and then he let me in. in the chamber there was a large
table which was maintaining gap between the clients chairs and the advocates chairs

How Big was the office?

The chamber was very very small covering an area of (approximately 5x5x10 ft) 4 chairs for clients and 2
chairs for advocates and a large table which was maintaining gap between the clients and the advocate
chairs

First Day

I gave my introduction to Adv. Jakhmola (hereafter Jakhmola sir). Jakhmola sir is a civil lawyer and
experience holder of 15 years in district court. I had an impression that he was a strict and disciplined
lawyer but soon after interaction I realized that I couldn’t have got a cooler lawyer to intern under. The
first question I asked to him was how he survived 15 years in such court he laughed and said soon I will
be used to it.

After a long conversation I feel comfortable in that small chamber then he introduced me to his friend
Adv. Ram Naresh Singh a famous criminal lawyer his chamber was adjacent the chamber of Jakhmola sir
and his 2 juniors Adv. Narendra (hereafter Narendra sir ) and Sandeep (a internee) and a Munshi
Deepak (younger than me but an experienced person).

Narendra sir was given a task to give me a tour of a court that was quiet intresting and meanwhile he
explained me some judicial terms like hajiri-maufi, adjournment, pairvi and some typical Hindi words
which are commonly used most of the words he told me were bounced over my head. While observing
the court I saw the real picture of the district court because I was in the illusion that all court were
exactly the same as it is shown in TV the courts are just opposite of that.
There were thousands of chambers in the court and typewriters were not having any chamber they with
their table and chair were sitting outside the chambers with their small typewriter after a long tour of
court.

We had a tour of judge courts, magistrate courts, registrar office, district judge, library etc. then the first
question he asked me was the difference between magistrate and a judge I was blank then he told me
the difference then after a long tour we went back to our chamber so the first day was just the
introduction to advocates and district court.

Work environment and people

The work environment is energetic, positive and encouraging. Jakhmola sir were cool he clears my all
doubts regarding the civil matters and Singh sir were very calm and humble who explains me cases in
details and clears my doubts. Narendra sir teaches me the minute details relating cases or
procedure .Sandeep was very friendly we together read cases and discus it with Narendra sir. Deepak
(munshi) teach us how to fill forms of marriage certificate, registries and affidavits.

Main tasks

Initial days

After first day I was asked by the Jakhmola sir and Singh sir to follow them to the judge court and
observe the pleading and ask the problems which strike on my mind I always keep a notebook and a
pen while following them so that if I come across with any new term or thing I note it down in my
notebook.

In the judge court I observed that there was a large judge court room and the court was exactly the
same as we see in TV’s, 2 munshies were sitting beside the babu (a person who pass the file to
Magistrate) pass the file respective case which is to be held after each proceeding and when our case
file was passed to Magistrate and Singh sir went forward to the podium for the pleading, the case was
related to rent control act and he gave the facts of the act then after hearing the facts Magistrate write
the order and then pass the file to munshi who fixed the next date of hearing.

The way of interaction of advocates to honorable judges it was in very humble and respected tone the
judges were to in the same tone and some of the applicant/respondents were standing just like the
student standing before his headmaster. Following Jakhmola sir , Singh sir, Narendra sir and munshi was
daily schedule during initial days of my internship.

During the first half of the day I learn under Jakhmola sir reading civil case files and second half with
Singh sir reading criminal cases and following his to the court observing pleadings.

And when there is no work or I get bored of reading cases sir ask me to follow munshi and learn to
make affidavits, registries, marriage certificates, domiciles, fill challan, and following him to the courts
noticing the next dates of pleading on the cases of Jakhmola sir and Singh sir

Best Days

There were some days which I can never forget one of them is when Jakhmola sir asked me to represent
him before the court although I had to speak 3 lines before the Judge but it was the first time so that
was the opportunity and excitement to stand and speak before the Judge and my first case was Sakshi v.
Moolchand case in which I was asked by sir to state before the Civil Judge Junior Division that
respondent has not filed the written statement within time that is 90 days which was expired on that
day after hearing my statement judge fixed next date for hearing that was the first experience of
lawyers podium and representing a case.

Second experience was when I represent on behalf of Singh sir on Negotiable Instrument Act commonly
known as sec-138 (of N.I Act) which was related to check bounce so this time i was asked by Singh sir to
filed a case in Judge court I gave the facts before the court and the judge fixed next date for hearing

My most important moment on 25th July 2014,

There was strike in district court and Singh sir’s client named simran whose case was pending in the
family court where she had filed a case of custody of his 1year old son against her in-laws. The case was
pending in the court since 6 months and due to this strike the case may postpone to next month Singh
sir asked me and Sandeep and do whatever to shift the case to nearest date which should not exceed to
2nd August.

We (I ,Sandeep and Simran) went to family court and we requested munshi that please mark 26th July
for the next date but he denied then I don’t know what happened to me I gave influencing speech to
munshi to save the future of the Simran’s baby from her(Simran’s) in-laws as I stopped speaking
Sandeep requested him and Simran joined us to request munshi and finally munshi satisfied and mark
26th July the next date for hearing Singh sir and Jakhmola sir was very much impressed by both of us
Simran thanked us for our efforts.

These appreciations meant a lot for me when our teachers i.e. Jakhmola sir and Singh sir having
experience of more than 15 appreciate us that was a great honor for me. I felt like blessed.

Best things

Firstly, came across with different legal terms in Hindi and English which are very important for a lawyer
and are very common in courts

Secondly, learned with practice, while reading cases the sections of I.P.C, C.P.C, N.I Act, land laws; Family
laws etc are now on my finger tips which seem very difficult when we attend the lectures in classes.

Thirdly, learned applications on adjournment, exemption.

Lastly, the most important part was representing on behalf of our lawyer

After second day of in district court I forget all those materialistic things like size of chamber, posh area,
path ways, I was used to of it and was very comfortable there and my mind never noticed those things
again.
A girl(me) who does not know the difference between Magistrate and Judge now aware of many things
within one month of internship gained knowledge from Adv. Jakhmola sir, Adv. Singh sir, Adv. Narendra
sir ,Munshi Deepakand Sandeep.

Bad things

Only one thing appears bad to me and that was strikes by state bar council. During my 30 days
internship there were 4 Sundays and 4 Saturdays and 5 strikes in the month of July so the period
reduced from 30 to 17 days and this is the main reason for pendency of cases in courts. There are lots of
cases pending in Indian courts just because of fewer working days in courts justice is not delivered in
time.

Stipend/month

None

Accommodation

There is no accommodation problem nearby there are many rooms available for paying guests, rents like
Sai paying guest which is located near 1st gate of district court and near 6thgate there is Jain guest
house. Dehradun is my hometown so I had no accommodation problem.

What did you do to chill? Co-interns, colleagues

During our lunch break Narendra sir, Sandeep, Deepak, and some of my college friends who was
completing their internship under other lawyers, we all meet in the canteen for lunch and ice cream
parties.
Anything else you’d like to tell

I would like tell to all that time is like a sand in our fist ,it slips though our hand and never return again
so let it go during our vacations or holidays for at least a week in 6 months we should join any firm, any
lawyers chamber or any munshi because this is the time when we can clear our class rooms doubts and
our course books and subjects will become easier to read and understand. Believe me, it helps a lot.

Internship is not merely for experience certificate. It is for experience, learning and practical knowledge.

Biggest lessons

One of the best thing that Singh Sir told me was, be a good munshi only then you will become best
lawyer. First learn basic things from munshi than pleadings from lawyer.