In November 2021, Manish Kumar* sold his car – a Volkswagen Polo. “I was unable to bear the expense, as my salary is so low,” lamented Kumar.
The 28-year-old, who hails from Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior, lives at his sister’s house in south Delhi, as he’s unable to pay rent. “How can I manage my expenses when I am only paid Rs 10,000 a month?” he asked.
Kumar is a junior lawyer employed with a senior lawyer who works at Delhi’s Patiala house court. He completed his B.Com-LLB(H) degree from Amity University, Jaipur, in 2018.
“I start my day at 8.30 am and log in 12-14 hours a day, for at least 25 days in a month, just for Rs 10,000," he said.
For the sum he earns, Kumar is able to pay for office-related paperwork, and saves a small amount for his metro fare.
This is not just Kumar’s story.
Recently, a 29-year-old lawyer filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Delhi High Court seeking a “minimum stipend of Rs 5,000 to young lawyers.”
While the PIL was dismissed by a bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad, the bench did appeal to senior lawyers to be more mindful of the financial background of their juniors while paying them and be more empathetic towards them, “considering the virtuosity of this profession,” as reported by The Indian Express.
Many junior lawyers, especially in the last two years, have raised this issue. The Quint spoke to junior lawyers across Delhi, Pune, Nagpur, Bengaluru and Kochi about low salaries, and feeling “exploited.”
'Dependent on Parents for Daily Expense'
“In 2019, during the odd-even scheme days, my former boss, who was a retired High Court judge, made me drive him around everywhere. After four months of this, I asked him to pay me a stipend to cover the petrol costs at least, but he refused,” said Kumar.
Sanket Shende, 28, who has been working at the Yavatmal sessions court near Nagpur, started work as a junior lawyer around seven months ago.
“I am not being paid at all, not a single rupee,” he told The Quint. Shende lives with his parents, who cover his daily expenses.
In fact, Shende’s parents paid Rs 16,000 for their son’s licence to practice law (sanad) which is issued by the Bar Council of Goa and Maharashtra that permits him to pursue cases there.
“None of my colleagues, who are juniors, are paid. Yeh yaha chalte aa raha hai (This has been happening for a while here). But not everyone’s parents are capable of taking care of such expenses,” said Shende.
'Had to Change my Lifestyle, Reduce Expenditure'
Shrinidhi Khandalkar, a 28-year-old Pune-based lawyer, said, "This profession comes with certain restrictions. Going out is a costly affair. If I ever do go out, I carefully select what to order so as not to exceed my budget," he added.
With an experience of around five years, Khandalkar still earns Rs 5,000-10,000 a month under a senior lawyer.
"I have had to change my lifestyle, and have reduced my expenditure. Now, my mindset is zaruri kya hai, woh hi lo (buy only what is absolutely essential)," he said.
Kerala HC Directed Senior Lawyers to Pay Stipends
In fact, in December 2021, the Kerala High Court had pulled up the Bar Council of the state for not implementing a government order issued in 2018 which sanctioned payment of Rs 5,000 to young lawyers with experience of three years or less, as was reported by the Bar and Bench.
Payment in Kerala HC is still better, but the situation is pretty dim in lower courts. I am highly sure the order is not being followed. In 2018, after I got my licence, I worked from 8.30 am-10 pm and heard various excuses when it came to payment from seniors. Often, I worked without any stipend.Tara Prem, a 27-year-old junior lawyer working in the Kerala High Court said.
But Who is a Junior Lawyer and Who Isn’t?
Then there is Aradhya Pande, a lawyer who practices at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court and has over five years of experience. He raised a valid point about who in fact is a junior lawyer.
He told The Quint, “I am a junior lawyer but so is a lawyer with 10 years of experience. How should lawyers be paid if these terms of work experience are not clearly defined? I sometimes do the same work as a senior lawyer – drafting, researching and meeting clients."
Meanwhile, Abhishek Mohgaonkar, another lawyer from Nagpur, found merit in the dismissal of the PIL by the Delhi HC.
He told The Quint, “There is no way that a lawyer’s stipend can be standardised. We have to understand the difference between working at litigation/chambers and working at law firms.”
Mohgaonkar, who has 17 years of experience, added, “Law firms will definitely pay a fixed amount but a designated senior lawyer, who runs a chamber, does not know where, when or how the next payment is coming from. It varies from case to case.”
In 2007, Mohgaonkar was being paid Rs 5,000 which “barely covered petrol expenses.” A piece of advice from him – “Patience and time are the key demands of this profession.”
'Monetary Growth is Slow'
Meanwhile, Pune-based lawyer, Rajas Naik, laid out a timeline of monetary growth of lawyers. “Only about five percent of senior lawyers actually pay juniors here. After the first six months, you may get Rs 2,000-3,000 which won’t even cover fuel costs. Within three-five years, one may earn Rs 30,000, that too, if one takes cases on the side,” he said.
Naik called it a "tough life," which is peppered with family pressure as well. He said, "One will be taunted, compared with others by one’s own families at times for not earning enough, but this comes with the profession. Not everyone can survive here.”
'My Senior Lawyer Volunteered to Pay a Stipend'
Some junior lawyers, however, have had different experiences too with kinder, more professional senior lawyers as employers. Ayesha Zaidi, a 23-year-old junior lawyer who practices in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court, narrated one such incident.
"My senior lawyer, in whose chamber I work, volunteered to pay me a stipend to cover my travel expenses at first. Eventually, that sum also grew," said Zaidi.
This, she said, was an "incentive to come to work and perform better. "She said, "My senior also encouraged me to take more work on the side."
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