A recent notification from the Bar Council of India (BCI) offered suggestions to all State Bar Councils and bar associations regarding minimum stipend for junior advocates working with or assisting advocates, senior advocates, and law firms, and this has sparked significant reactions from the legal community on social media.

In urban areas, the minimum stipend for junior advocates is recommended to be Rs 30,000 per month while in rural areas, the same is expected to be Rs 15,000 per month, the document states.

Now, netizens have highlighted how this recommended minimum stipend for junior lawyers is lower than what most states have fixed as statutory minimum wage. This was pointed out by advocate Sanjoy Ghose.

In urban areas, a stipend of Rs 20,000 is not enough even for the day-to-day expenses of junior litigators, stated Kaustubh Mehta, a lawyer and columnist.

Meanwhile, advocate Ravi Singh Chhikara on social media platform X highlighted that the council has only issued a directive to the State Bar Councils and has not made it mandatory to implement a minimum stipend.

“BCI has recommended 20,000/- as a minimum stipend for junior advocates. It is directory. Advocates/firms can make adjustments as per their earnings. What’s the point of issuing this then? There should be a mandatory order if you actually want to bring a change,” posted Ravi Singh Chhikara, an advocate who has been cited by the US courts.