The Bar Council of India (BCI) has directed all law colleges to obtain a written undertaking from every student at the time of admission and before each internship, affirming compliance with professional ethics and responsible conduct on social media and digital platforms.
The direction, issued through a July 17 circular, mandates the immediate implementation of guidelines on social media conduct, digital ethics, court decorum, confidentiality and professional responsibility for advocates, law students and interns.
Under the undertaking, students must agree not to record or share court proceedings, chamber discussions, virtual hearings, client conferences, internal meetings, court corridor videos, “lawyer life” reels or AI-generated content depicting courts, judges or litigants.
Emphasising that internships are meant for learning professional ethics rather than self-promotion, the BCI said students must not create reels or videos in courts or chambers, record hearings, disclose client information or confidential legal work, or publish content such as “day in court”, “internship reveal” or “courtroom drama” that trivialises the legal profession.
Law colleges have been directed to organise formal orientation and sensitisation programmes explaining the circular, the standards expected of students and the consequences of any breach. The guidelines must also be incorporated into institutional policies governing admissions, internships, legal aid activities, moot courts, placements and student conduct.
Faculty members and internship coordinators have been instructed to brief students on these standards before they are sent to courts, tribunals, chambers, law firms, legal offices or public authorities for internships. Further, every law college must appoint a nodal officer or institutional monitoring group to oversee implementation, preserve complaints and undertake first-level reporting wherever necessary.
Institutions have also been directed to maintain records of student undertakings, orientation programmes, circulation of the circular and other compliance measures, and produce them before the BCI or the concerned State Bar Council whenever required.
Recognising that many students may act out of ignorance or youthful enthusiasm, the Council said the initial response should ordinarily be corrective and educative. However, deliberate, repeated, commercial or scandalous violations, disclosure of confidential information, contemptuous conduct or breaches of court rules may warrant reporting to the concerned court, Bar Council, educational institution or other competent authority.
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