The Bar Council of India has issued a circular directing law colleges to obtain undertakings from students before admission and every internship regarding ethical conduct on social media and in the digital space.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) has directed all Centres of Legal Education (CLEs) to obtain a written undertaking from every law student before admission and again before each internship. The undertaking is intended to ensure compliance with the BCI’s guidelines on social media conduct, professional ethics, confidentiality, and courtroom decorum.
The direction forms part of a circular issued on 17 July, calling for the immediate implementation of its guidelines relating to advocates, law students, interns, and legal education institutions.
Student Undertakings Made Mandatory
Under the circular, every law college must obtain a written undertaking from students:
- Before admission to the institution.
- Before every internship undertaken during the law programme.
The undertaking must state that the student will comply with the ethical standards prescribed by the BCI concerning social media usage, confidentiality, and professional conduct.
Activities Restricted Under the Circular
The circular lists several activities that law students and interns are expected to avoid during internships and while interacting with courts, chambers, and legal offices.
According to the BCI, students should not:
- Record court proceedings or virtual hearings.
- Record chamber discussions, client conferences, or internal meetings.
- Record professional interactions involving advocates or clients.
- Disclose client names, pleadings, briefs, research assignments, chamber strategy, or confidential work.
- Publish content such as “day in court,” “day in chamber,” “internship reveal,” “courtroom drama,” or “lawyer life” videos that may compromise professional confidentiality.
- Use internships under advocates, judges, tribunals, law firms, public authorities, or other legal institutions for social media promotion.
- Post photographs or videos in court buildings, court corridors, chambers, or while wearing professional robes in a manner inconsistent with professional decorum.
- Create synthetic or AI-generated content depicting courts, judges, litigants, or legal proceedings in a misleading manner.
Court Recording and Photography
The circular also addresses photography and videography within court premises.
It states that students should not create videos or reels inside courts, chambers, or law offices unless permitted under applicable court rules or, where required, with written approval from the competent authority.
Responsibilities of Law Colleges
The BCI has directed law colleges to implement the circular through specific institutional measures.
These include:
- Conducting orientation or sensitisation programmes explaining the guidelines.
- Incorporating the directions into admission, internship, placement, moot court, and legal aid policies.
- Explaining the applicable standards before students begin internships.
- Appointing a nodal officer or institutional monitoring mechanism.
- Maintaining records of student undertakings, orientation programmes, and compliance measures.
- Producing these records before the BCI or the concerned State Bar Council whenever required.
The BCI has clarified that simply uploading the circular on a website or sharing it through messaging platforms will not constitute sufficient compliance.
Also Read: Career Opportunities in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution
Applicability of the Circular
The circular applies to:
- Law students
- Interns
- Advocates
- Centres of Legal Education
It addresses issues relating to:
- Social media conduct
- Digital ethics
- Courtroom decorum
- Confidentiality
- Professional responsibility
BCI Clarifies Purpose of the Guidelines
The BCI has stated that the circular should not be used for moral policing, personal rivalry, suppression of lawful criticism, or action based on unverified allegations.
According to the circular, implementation should be educative, preventive, and proportionate.
It also notes that where violations occur due to ignorance or lack of awareness, the initial response should focus on education and correction. However, deliberate, repeated, commercial, defamatory, confidential, or contemptuous conduct, or conduct violating court rules, may require reporting to the appropriate court, Bar Council, institution, or authority.
Conclusion
With this circular, the Bar Council of India has introduced a structured framework governing the digital conduct of law students during their legal education and internships. The directions require law colleges to obtain written undertakings, conduct awareness programmes, maintain compliance records, and ensure that students are informed of professional standards relating to confidentiality, courtroom decorum, and responsible use of social media.
