Trilegal Internship Experience

Introduction
● Name: Madhavi Shukla
● Law School + Year: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University, Sonepat [4 th
Year]
● Firm/Chamber Name: Trilegal, New Delhi Branch.
● Practice Area: Projects, Energy & Infrastructure.

How did you actually secure this internship? (cold email, referral, LinkedIn, application
portal, campus placement, professor, previous internship, etc.)
I applied directly through Trilegal’s official careers portal. Alongside the portal application, I also secured a referral from Mr. Anoop Maurya, President of the BNA organization. A few months after applying, I received an email invitation containing the link for the online assessment test.

What did your CV look like when you applied, and what do you think helped your
profile stand out?
At the time I applied, my CV had a mix of different experiences. I had previously interned with district courts, tribunals, a judicial internship in High Court, litigation firms in Delhi, and a few boutique law firms. I also highlighted several co-curricular achievements, leadership positions, and consistent participation in competitions where I had won awards. I think what helped my profile stand out was this visible trajectory of continuous effort and sustained engagement across diverse legal forums.

Was there an interview or selection round? If yes, what were you asked?
Yes, the selection process involved two rounds of online assessment tests: The first assessment was based on CLAT. Total 30 questions consisted of four sections: English, Logical Reasoning, Legal Reasoning and Mathematics, to be completed within 45 minutes. I found the English section relatively easy, while the other sections were also manageable. Overall, the questions ranged from easy to moderately difficult. After clearing the first assessment, the HR team contacted me and asked me to select my preferred practice areas. My first preference was General Corporate and M&A, and my second preference was Projects, mainly because I felt that the two areas were closely connected. I then appeared for the second assessment, which was practice-area specific. There were five lengthy, paragraph-based questions, and I was given 20 minutes for each practice area separately. The assessment required me to read the problem carefully, identify the relevant legal issues and answer within a very limited time.

How long after applying did you receive a response?
I received a response roughly 4 months after submitting my initial application.

What kind of work or projects were you assigned during the internship? (research,
drafting, meetings, due diligence, etc.)
My tasks centered around in-depth research and due diligence for energy and infrastructure matters. Key
assignments included:
● Tracking and analyzing government tenders for infrastructure projects.
● Researching regulatory frameworks under the Electricity Act, relevant rules, and
guidelines issued by CERC, SCRC, MNRE, and the Ministry of Power.
● Preparing a case law repository and recent amendments in laws governing Renewable
energy, Infrastructure projects.
● Assisting with research for due diligence reports.
● Reviewing foundational commercial agreements such as Concession Agreements, Power
Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and Power Sale Agreements (PSAs) recommended by the
team.
Since this was a relatively new area for me, a lot of the internship involved understanding how
these laws, contracts, regulations and authorities fit together in an actual project.

Did you get an opportunity to draft any documents? If yes, what did you draft, and did
you get to see what happened to the work you submitted?
I did not draft substantive transaction documents from scratch, but I prepared structured compilation documents for regulatory amendments and created an Excel tracker for unnotified policy changes across the April-June quarter of 2026. I also reviewed real transaction copies of PPAs, PSAs, and Due Diligence reports, which provided direct insight into standard drafting mechanics and closing documentation.

Who usually assigned your work, and how often did you interact with associates,
partners, or other seniors?
Work was primarily assigned by my designated mentor, although the onboarding email provided direct access to the entire team under our partner. This means that you have access to the broader team and can approach other members as well. While associates and senior associates can also assign work, my mentor was generally my primary point of contact I interacted with associates and senior associates on a daily basis for task briefs, research queries, and feedback. Interactions with the partner were rare.

What did a typical day during your internship look like?
My day began around 9:30 AM. Once the team arrived by 10:30 AM, I would proactively reach out over email and in person to ask for assignments. Associates would walk me through the background of each matter and set clear expectations. I would then work on the assignment, conduct the required research and submit it within the given timeline. The work environment was supportive, approachable, and devoid of toxicity. Seniors were always willing to clarify doubts and offer constructive feedback. Workdays usually wrapped up between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM. And, of course, there was plenty of coffee! and the firm would provide snacks in the evening. These small things made the long working days much more enjoyable.

Was the internship paid? If yes, what was the stipend, and were there any attendance
or other requirements?
Yes, the internship was paid. Candidates selected through the formal assessment test received amonthly stipend of approximately ₹15,000. There was also an attendance requirement. Due to desk-sharing schedules, interns had one designated mandatory in-office day per week (mine was Wednesday), with the flexibility to work from home on other days unless requested in office by the mentor.

What are the top 2-3 things you learned during the internship, and what is one thing
you wish you had known before joining?
The first and probably the biggest thing I learned was the importance of having a good team. I was working in a relatively niche area that I had never worked in before, so I had to learn many things from scratch. Working with experienced professionals gave me the opportunity to understand not only the law but also how it is applied in actual projects. The second thing I learned was how a large law firm actually functions. You get exposure to a more advanced level of work and begin to understand how matters are divided, how research is assigned, how work is reviewed and how different members of a team contribute to one final deliverable. The third thing was the opportunity to interact with other interns. You meet students from different law schools who are equally talented and ambitious. Seeing their experiences and understanding how they approach internships and recruitment also makes you think seriously about how you want to plan the next one or two years of your own law school journey.One thing I wish I had known before joining was the attendance structure. I did not initially realise that interns were officially allotted a particular day for office attendance. If I had known this beforehand, I would have planned my schedule accordingly.

12. What should other law students know before applying, including any PPO
opportunities?
While the official portal outlines standard application criteria, on-ground recruitment and PPO evaluation generally follow practical internal dynamics: If you are aiming for a callback or an assessment internship in a subsequent cycle, try to stick with the same practice area. Changing domains (e.g., from General Corporate to Disputes) often results in your application being evaluated afresh rather than building on your past performance with that specific team. In large Tier-1 setups, work will not always land on your desk automatically. Do not hesitate to check in daily with your mentor and associates to ask for tasks. Even if you secure work 4-5 times out of 10 requests, that active initiative gets noticed. Consistently deliver thorough research on time, communicate progress proactively, and act on feedback immediately. Cultivating positive, reliable working relationships with associates and seniors under your partner is the most direct pathway to a strong evaluation.