Bar Council of India to train young advocates in Bangalore

After a mandatory examination to test advocates’ ability to practise after the completion of the course, the Bar Council of India is all set to conduct a training programme for young advocates.

VB Coutinho, director, Legal Studies, Bar Council of India, said  the training programme would start soon after the completion of the eligibility examination. The first All India Bar Examination is scheduled on March 6.

“It is a special training programme designed for young advocates. This is a part of increasing quality in legal education,” said Coutinho. As of now, the training programme will be optional. It will later be made mandatory for those who complete LLB/LLM, Coutinho said.

This will be a state-level training programme. According to experts in the field of law, majority of students who are coming out of universities with a law degree are not equipped to practise law.

“Most students have language problems. To compete with others, advocates must have command over the English language. This is aspect we will be addressing,” Coutinho said. The training programme will also cover professional ethics and procedural issues.

However, the training programme is targeted at freshers for now. It could later also include senior advocates who are already practising lawyers.

“It is a part of a continuous learning process. Senior advocates may not have time to attend classes, so we will provide them study material, after which they have to appear for online examinations,” Coutinho said.