The Young Lawyers Movement Pakistan held its First National Consultation on 20 June 2026, bringing together senior members of the Bench and Bar, law firm leaders, legal academics, constitutional lawyers, law students and young legal professionals for a national dialogue on structural reform in Pakistan’s legal profession.
The online consultation was organised in collaboration with Courting The Law, Youth Lex Hub, Pakistan Legal Rights Initiative and the Law Student Federation. It was designed as a solution-oriented discussion focused on the practical challenges faced by young lawyers, particularly unpaid legal work, lack of structured training, limited mentorship, weak transition from law school to practice, and the absence of institutional welfare mechanisms for new entrants to the profession.
The consultation featured a diverse panel representing different parts of the legal system. Justice (R) Mushir Alam, former judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, joined from the perspective of the Bench. Mr Haseeb Jamali, Advocate Supreme Court and President of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, represented the perspective of the Bar and Bar Councils. Ms Quratulain Ayesha, Advocate Supreme Court, spoke from the perspective of practising members of the Bar. Barrister Taimur Malik, Founder of Courting The Law and Senior Partner at KILAM Law and MAR Law, contributed from the perspective of law firms and professional training. Professor Zafar Iqbal Kalanauri, Professor of Law and constitutional lawyer, addressed legal education and professional development. Malik Aneeq Khatana, Founder of the Young Lawyers Movement and constitutional litigator, spoke on the movement’s reform agenda and the need for wider constitutional and institutional reform.
The central theme of the consultation was that legal education cannot end in a classroom. Speakers and participants repeatedly returned to the gap between academic legal education and the realities of legal practice, noting that young lawyers in Pakistan often enter the profession without sufficient practical exposure to drafting, litigation, client handling, legal research, professional ethics, court procedure, chamber management or the economic realities of practice.
The discussion proceeded on two main agenda items: first, that no young lawyer should be required to work for free; and second, that every young lawyer deserves proper practical legal training.
No Young Lawyer Should Work For Free
The first agenda item focused on the widespread practice of unpaid work by interns, pupils and junior lawyers. Participants described the issue not only as a matter of individual hardship but as a structural problem affecting access to the profession, quality of legal training and the long-term sustainability of the Bar.
Barrister Taimur Malik said that, in principle, no young lawyer should be required to work for free. He proposed that qualification as a lawyer should be linked not only to passing the Bar examination but also to completing a paid one-year training contract with a senior lawyer or law firm. Such training contracts, he suggested, should be registered with and publicly advertised through the Bar Councils so that young lawyers have transparent access to structured opportunities.
He also cautioned that the issue cannot be solved through enforcement alone. If thousands of law graduates enter the profession each year but only a limited number of paid training positions are available, young lawyers may still feel compelled to accept unpaid work simply to gain experience. The consultation therefore treated unpaid work as a structural issue requiring wider reform in legal education, licensing, training capacity and institutional responsibility.
Ms Quratulain Ayesha proposed that financial support should begin from the stage of first intimation before the relevant Bar Council. Since interns are required to observe and assist in a prescribed number of cases before filing second intimation, she recommended that they should be eligible for a reasonable stipend or travel allowance during this period.
One proposal discussed during the consultation was that Bar Councils should create a stipend mechanism for registered internees, including a fixed travel allowance to cover basic expenses. Supervising senior lawyers could be required to submit monthly records confirming attendance, court proceedings attended, cases observed, drafting assignments completed and skills acquired during the internship period.
The consultation also called for strict enforcement of eligibility criteria for senior lawyers supervising interns and associates. Participants noted that young lawyers must receive guidance from experienced practitioners who can provide ethical, professional and practical training. Where rules prescribe a minimum period of practice before a lawyer may supervise interns or retain associates, those requirements should be properly implemented.
A further recommendation was to formally define the term “young lawyer” within the Bar Practitioners and Bar Councils framework. For policy purposes, a young lawyer may be defined as an advocate within the first three years of obtaining a licence. Such a definition would allow Bar Councils, Bar Associations and legal institutions to design targeted welfare schemes, training programmes, financial assistance and professional opportunities for those at the most vulnerable stage of practice.
Welfare Support And Paid Opportunities
The consultation also discussed the creation of a Young Lawyers Welfare and Support Fund. Such a fund could be established by Bar Councils and used specifically for interns and young lawyers. Possible sources of funding discussed included government contributions, support from established law firms and legal institutions, corporate social responsibility initiatives, nominal annual contributions from practising advocates, and a small welfare contribution collected through a standard form attached to court filings.
Participants also proposed that a fixed percentage of existing Bar funds should be allocated annually for the welfare and professional development of young lawyers. The purpose of such a fund would be to ensure that talented young lawyers do not leave the profession merely because they cannot afford the initial years of practice.
Another proposal was the registration and recognition of chambers and law firms offering paid internships and structured training. Bar Councils and Bar Associations could invite chambers and law firms to voluntarily register as approved paid internship providers. Such chambers could be recognised through certificates, shields, public acknowledgement at Bar events, listing on official Bar platforms and preference in professional development programmes.
The consultation also discussed a digital professional platform for young lawyers. Such a platform could allow young lawyers to create profiles highlighting their qualifications, areas of interest, research abilities, drafting experience and litigation exposure. Senior advocates and law firms could then engage young lawyers for legal research, drafting, case assistance and other defined legal tasks against agreed remuneration. A nominal registration fee could be charged to maintain the platform.
Participants also called for fairer distribution of court-appointed professional opportunities. Bar Associations, in coordination with the district judiciary, could maintain transparent digital records of local commissions, auction proceedings and other court-assigned work. A rotation-based mechanism could help ensure that young lawyers receive opportunities to gain experience and earn professional income rather than seeing such assignments repeatedly given to a limited group of practitioners.
Every Young Lawyer Deserves Proper Practical Training
The second agenda item focused on practical training. Participants agreed that the legal profession cannot rely on informal learning alone. Young lawyers need structured, measurable and accessible training in the skills required for actual practice.
The consultation proposed that Bar Councils and Bar Associations should arrange regular vocational courses on drafting, legal research, court practice, professional ethics, client handling and case preparation. These programmes should not be occasional ceremonial events but part of a sustained professional training framework.
Barrister Taimur Malik proposed that lawyers should complete at least 8 to 10 hours of Bar Council-accredited Continuing Professional Development each year. He said such training should be accessible online so lawyers across Pakistan can participate regardless of location. The cost of mandatory training, particularly for young lawyers, should be borne by chambers and law firms as part of their responsibility to train the next generation of the profession.
The discussion also supported the accreditation of training chambers. Bar Associations could register and recognise chambers that provide quality practical training and mentorship. Supervising lawyers could be required to maintain a training record showing the court exposure, drafting work, research assignments and professional skills developed by young lawyers under their supervision.
Ms Quratulain Ayesha proposed an annual training record requirement for young lawyers. Under this model, a young lawyer would submit a record of trainings attended, workshops completed and practical exposure gained during the year. This record could also form the basis for continuation of stipend eligibility, alongside a brief reflection on the skills learned through the training process.
Participants further called for a digital learning platform containing recorded lectures, legal resources, drafting samples, procedural guidance and practical training material. Such a platform could reduce regional disparities by allowing young lawyers in smaller cities and districts to access training material otherwise concentrated in larger legal markets.
Professor Zafar Iqbal Kalanauri emphasised the need to reform legal education so that law schools are more closely connected with the actual demands of practice. The consultation highlighted the importance of clinical legal education, supervised practical work, legal aid exposure, drafting exercises, advocacy training, internships and compulsory professional skills modules. Participants noted that young lawyers should not first encounter practical legal work only after they have entered the profession.
Role Of The Bench, Bar And Legal Institutions
Justice (R) Mushir Alam’s presence brought the perspective of the Bench to the consultation, underscoring the importance of ethical and competent young lawyers for the administration of justice. The participation of a former Supreme Court judge also reflected the institutional importance of treating young lawyers’ training and welfare as a justice-sector issue rather than only an internal matter for the Bar.
Mr Haseeb Jamali, as President of the Sindh High Court Bar Association and Advocate Supreme Court, contributed the Bar’s perspective on the role of Bar Associations and Bar Councils in creating workable structures for young lawyers. The discussion recognised that any serious reform will require the involvement of representative Bar bodies, particularly in relation to licensing, supervision, welfare funds, stipends, training requirements and recognition of chambers.
Ms Quratulain Ayesha’s recommendations focused on turning young lawyers’ concerns into institutional mechanisms. Her proposals included stipends from the first intimation stage, stricter supervision rules, a formal definition of young lawyers, welfare funds, approved paid internship providers, digital work platforms, awareness sessions and transparent distribution of professional opportunities.
Barrister Taimur Malik’s proposals focused on linking legal qualification with paid training contracts and annual continuing professional development. He also highlighted the need to confront the structural mismatch between the number of law graduates and the number of meaningful paid training opportunities available in the legal market.
Professor Zafar Iqbal Kalanauri’s contribution placed the discussion within the wider crisis of legal education and training. The consultation recognised that legal education reform, Bar training and professional licensing must be addressed together if the profession is to produce competent, ethical and financially sustainable young lawyers.
Malik Aneeq Khatana, Founder of the Young Lawyers Movement, said the movement aims to advocate structural reforms that give young lawyers opportunity, dignity and a fair chance to survive in the profession. The consultation placed particular emphasis on the need for young lawyers themselves to be represented in reform discussions rather than treated merely as passive recipients of decisions made by senior institutions.
Towards A National Reform Framework
The consultation concluded with broad agreement that the challenges facing young lawyers are not isolated or personal failures. They are structural issues requiring coordinated action by Bar Councils, Bar Associations, law schools, senior practitioners, law firms, the judiciary, government institutions and civil society organisations.
Participants agreed that unpaid work, lack of training, weak mentorship and limited professional opportunities have long-term consequences for the quality of legal representation and the health of the justice system. When young lawyers are forced to work without pay or proper guidance, the profession loses talent, public confidence suffers and access to justice is weakened.
The Young Lawyers Movement said it would continue national consultations on legal education, licensing, paid training, welfare support, professional development and constitutional reform. The objective is to develop practical proposals that can be presented to Bar Councils, Bar Associations, legal institutions and policymakers.
The First National Consultation marked an important step in bringing together senior voices and young professionals around a shared reform agenda. Its central message was clear: young lawyers should not be expected to survive on unpaid labour, informal training and uncertain opportunities. They need dignity, structure, mentorship and a fair pathway into the profession.
