Internship Experience @ The Naz Foundation, New Delhi

Name

Anonymous

Name of the Organization

The Naz Foundation (India) Trust, A-86, Ground Floor, A Block, East of Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi – 110065, India.

Duration of internship

May 20, 2026

How did you apply?

I applied for this internship as part of my college’s service-learning program. Among the available organizations, I was particularly drawn to the Naz Foundation because of its work in advancing LGBTQIA+ rights and providing legal assistance to community members.

The opportunity to engage with real-world legal issues and understand the practical impact of law on people’s lives motivated me to apply.

First-Day Formalities, Infrastructure, and First Impression

My first day at Naz Foundation was both exciting and slightly intimidating. One of the first things I noticed was that the organisation housed several rescue dogs, which caught me off guard as I am quite afraid of dogs.

However, I soon adjusted and found the environment to be extremely welcoming. The office itself was vibrant and thoughtfully designed. The basement housed a beautifully maintained LGBTQIA+ community centre, while the Legal Assistance Aid Team operated from the second floor, where I was assigned.

My first impression was that Naz was more than just a workplace; it was a safe and inclusive space dedicated to supporting the community through meaningful social and legal work.

Main Tasks

My work involved a combination of legal research, documentation, reporting, and community engagement. I assisted in preparing weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports and conducted research on LGBTQIA+ rights, including the intersection of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act with recent legal developments.

I also studied landmark judgments such as Naz Foundation v. Government of NCT of Delhi, Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India, and S. Subha v. Commissioner of Police to gain a better understanding of the evolution of LGBTQIA+ rights in India.

Additionally, I assisted in conducting legal awareness sessions for outreach workers and community members, interacted directly with beneficiaries, and helped address their legal queries.

The most rewarding aspect of my internship was handling distress calls, which ranged from requests for basic legal information to urgent cases involving individuals who had left their homes due to family opposition.

This experience provided me with valuable insights into the practical functioning of legal aid and the real-world impact of law on people’s lives.

Work Environment

The work environment at Naz Foundation was warm, welcoming, and unlike any professional setting I had experienced before. One of the most memorable aspects was the presence of several rescue dogs around the office, which contributed to its unique and friendly atmosphere.

The organisation also housed a shelter and community space for LGBTQIA+ individuals, making it feel like much more than just an office. The office itself was vibrant and colourful, with work desks arranged in rainbow colours, reflecting the organisation’s inclusive spirit and creating a cheerful atmosphere.

Many staff members identified as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, which provided me with the opportunity to interact with people from diverse backgrounds and learn from their lived experiences.

These conversations helped me better understand the challenges faced by the community beyond what I had studied in textbooks and legal judgments. The environment encouraged learning, open discussions, and empathy, making the internship both professionally and personally enriching.

Good Things about the Internship

The best part of the internship was the exposure it provided to the practical realities of law and legal aid. Unlike many internships that are limited to research and drafting, I had the opportunity to interact directly with community members, attend legal awareness sessions, and assist in handling real cases.

Through distress calls and legal consultations, I witnessed how legal issues affect people’s everyday lives and how legal aid can make a tangible difference.

The internship also gave me a deeper understanding of LGBTQIA+ rights in India, both through legal research and conversations with members of the community. Studying landmark judgments alongside observing their real-world implications helped bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Overall, the internship was intellectually engaging and socially meaningful, providing valuable insights into public interest law and community-based legal work.

Bad Things about the Internship

One of the more challenging aspects of the internship was the emotional nature of the work. Unlike internships that primarily focus on research and drafting, this role involved interacting with individuals facing real and often urgent legal and personal difficulties.

Through distress calls and consultations, I encountered cases involving family rejection, discrimination, online harassment, extortion, and concerns about personal safety.

Listening to these experiences and understanding the realities faced by many members of the LGBTQIA+ community could be emotionally demanding, particularly as a first-year law student with limited prior exposure to such situations.

Another challenge was navigating the complexity of legal and administrative processes. Many cases involved documentation issues, identity records, and government procedures that were often lengthy, confusing, or subject to frequent changes. A particularly challenging area involved calls concerning the implementation of the new transgender law and its impact on transgender persons.

Many callers expressed frustration and disappointment because the law significantly restricted the autonomy transgender individuals previously exercised in asserting their gender identity, making self-identification more difficult and subjecting legal recognition to additional procedural requirements.

Speaking with individuals who felt that their rights had been curtailed and who had lost faith in the system was emotionally challenging. It was difficult to witness the helplessness experienced by people who believed that legal developments had moved backwards rather than forwards.

More broadly, it was frustrating to see individuals encounter barriers in accessing their rights and essential services despite the existence of legal protections.

Additionally, balancing legal research, report preparation, community engagement activities, and case-related work required effective time management and adaptability.

Despite these challenges, they proved to be among the most valuable aspects of the internship. They taught me empathy, patience, and professionalism, while reinforcing the importance of approaching legal issues not merely from a doctrinal perspective but also with an understanding of the human realities underlying every case.

Monthly Stipend

It was an unpaid internship.

Details about the accommodation, commuting to the office

I commuted to the office daily from Gurugram to the east of Kailash using the Delhi Metro. The journey took approximately two hours each way, amounting to a four-hour round trip every day.

I would typically leave home around 9:00 AM to reach the office by 11:00 AM and leave the office at approximately 5:45 PM, reaching home by around 7:45 PM.

Although the commute was long and often tiring, it provided me with time to read judgments, review research materials, and reflect on the work I had completed during the day.

Despite the challenges of travelling such a distance daily, the learning opportunities and practical exposure offered by the internship made the commute worthwhile. The experience also helped me develop discipline, time-management skills, and a stronger commitment to my professional responsibilities.

Anything else you want to share?

Beyond the legal work, what made this internship memorable were the small experiences that became part of my daily routine. The office had a coffee station in the basement that quickly became one of my favorite spots, along with a swing outside where I would often spend a few minutes relaxing between tasks.

I began the internship being quite afraid of dogs, but the office was home to several rescue dogs, and by the end of the internship, I found myself playing with them regularly.

Another small but meaningful lesson came from the office culture, where everyone was expected to wash their own utensils after use. This seemed daunting and unusual at first, but over time, it taught me accountability and the importance of contributing to a shared space.

More broadly, the internship reminded me that law is ultimately about people. It helped me become more empathetic, open-minded, and aware of experiences very different from my own, making it one of the most rewarding learning experiences I have had so far.

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