Intern, Square Circle Clinic

Nalsar University of Law; New Delhi, Pune District, Nagpur District; On-site; INR 112,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stipend

Job summary

The Square Circle Clinic is offering internship opportunities across its Delhi, Pune and Nagpur offices. Interns will assist in litigation, mitigation investigations, research projects, and strategic communication, with tasks distributed across the offices. Working hours are 10 am to 6 pm, and internships range 4–12 weeks.

Location-based internships emphasize exposure to pro bono work and administrative duties, with stipends of Rs. 10,000 per four weeks for full-time and Rs.

Qualifications

• Litigation exposure assisting with pro bono work for prisoners; Delhi office handles death-row cases.
• Mitigation Investigation: develop life histories and mitigation reports for sentencing hearings.
• Research Interventions: fieldwork and empirical analysis on criminal justice topics including forensic science, wrongful convictions, and mental health.

Responsibilities

• Assist with litigation activities, research projects, or public outreach initiatives.
• Perform administrative duties and support office operations (10:00–18:00) across New Delhi, Pune or Nagpur offices.
• Note that internships are full-time; exact months are to be stated in the application.
• Stipends are provided for full-time and part-time interns as described.

Job description

One of the four clocks of the Charminar sits above its grand arches, quietly marking the passage of time over the old city. Added in the late 19th century, the clock has become a familiar and enduring feature of Hyderabad’s most iconic monument.

The Square Circle Clinic is keen to have interns in the following areas of its work:

• Litigation: Our Delhi office works to ensure competent pro bono legal representation for prisoners sentenced to death across India, irrespective of the offence. Our offices in Pune and Nagpur provide trial-level pro bono legal representation to undertrial prisoners in Yerwada and Nagpur Central Prisons.
• Mitigation Investigation: As part of our capital defense work, we undertake comprehensive mitigation investigations. Our mitigation team develops in-depth life histories of prisoners sentenced to death and prepares detailed mitigation reports for submission before courts during sentencing hearings.
• Research Interventions: Our research places significant emphasis on fieldwork and empirical analysis and engages with a range of issues, including:
  • Forensic science
  • Science & technology in criminal justice
  • Wrongful convictions
  • Criminalisation and punishment
  • Legal aid in the criminal justice system
  • Mental health and criminal justice
  • Administration of the death penalty
• Strategic Communication: This work involves developing public communication strategies on critical issues within the criminal justice system in India, including engagement with diverse storytelling approaches across mediums, as well as contributing to the organisation’s social media strategy.
  Responsibilities: Candidates will be asked to undertake tasks that may involve assisting with litigation activities, research projects, or public outreach initiatives. While the organisation shall attempt to account for the interests expressed by the interns, it reserves the right to allocate tasks as it deems fit for its requirements. All members of The Square Circle Clinic undertake administrative duties; therefore, interns will also be expected to assist in administrative matters. Interns will be required to observe the working hours of The Square Circle Clinic (10 am to 6 pm) and work only from its offices.
  Duration: Internships are full-time and range from a minimum of 4 weeks to a maximum of 12 weeks. Candidates must indicate the exact months in their application. While applications for part-time internships are considered, preference will be given to full-time interns. Part-time interns, if selected, must intern for a minimum period of 12 weeks.
  Location: Interns shall be based out of our offices in New Delhi, Pune, or Nagpur. Please note that while we also have an office in Hyderabad, it houses only our administrative and finance teams; therefore, no internship positions are available in Hyderabad.
  Stipend: Full-time interns will receive a stipend of Rs. 10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand Only) for every four weeks of internship. Part-time interns will receive a stipend of Rs. 5,000/- (Rupees Five Thousand Only) for every four weeks of internship.

For the internship position in Nagpur and Pune,