District Legal Services Authority Pudukkottai Recruitment 2024 | Clerk | Office Assistant

GUIDELINES FOR ENGAGEMENT AS FULL TIME LEGAL AID
LAWYERS IN LEGAL AID DEFENSE COUNSELS AND STAFFS IN
DLSAs
Scope of Work:
Legal Aid Defense Counsel Office shall be dealing exclusively with legal aided
matters in criminal matters of the District or HQ, wherein it is established. It shall be
providing legal services from the early stages of criminal justice till appellate stage,
and the same shall include visits to jails from catering to the legal needs of
unrepresented inmates. Initially it shall not be dealing with all type of civil matters
and cases of complainant, wherein present counsel assignment system (Panel
Lawyers) will continue to be operational. The following end to end legal services shall
be provided through the Legal Aid Defense Counsel Office:

 Legal Advice and Assistance to all individuals visiting the office,
 Representation/Conducting trial and appeals including all miscellaneous
work in all criminal courts such as Sessions, Special and Magistrate Courts
including executive courts,
 Handling Remand and Bail work,
 Providing legal assistance at pre-arrest stage as per need and also in
accordance with NALSA’s scheme for providing such assistance,
 Any other legal aided work related to District Courts or as assigned by the
Secretary DLSA,
 Periodic visit of Prisons of the district under the guidance of the Secretary,
DLSA

Qualifications for Chief Legal Aid Defense Counsel:
 Practice in Criminal law for at least 10 years,
 Excellent oral and written communication skills,
 Excellent understanding of criminal law,
 Thorough understanding of ethical duties of a defence counsel,
 Ability to work effectively and efficiently with others with capability to lead,
 Must have handled at least 30 criminal trials in Sessions Courts, aforesaid
condition of handling of 30 criminal cases can be relaxed in appropriate
circumstances,
 Knowledge of computer system, preferable.
 Quality to lead the team with capacity to manage the office.

Qualifications for Deputy Chief Legal Aid Defense Counsel:
 Practice in Criminal law for at least 7 years,
 Excellent understanding of criminal law,
 Excellent oral and written communication skills,
 Skill in legal research,
 Thorough understanding of ethical duties of defence counsel,
 Ability to work effectively and efficiently with others,
 Must have handled at least 20 criminal trials in Sessions Courts, may be
relaxed in exceptional circumstances, by Hon’ble executive Chairman, SLSA,
 IT Knowledge with proficiency in work.

Qualification for Assistant Legal Aid Defense Counsel:
 Practice in criminal law from 0 to 3 years.
 Good oral and written communication skills.
 Thorough understanding of ethical duties of defence counsel.
 Ability to work effectively and efficiently with others.
 Excellent writing and research skills.
 IT Knowledge with high proficiency in work.

Office Assistant/ Clerks:
 Graduation of Any degree
 Basic word processing skills and the ability to operate computer
 Typing speed of 40 WPM.
 Ability to take dictation and entering data.
 File maintenance and processing knowledge.

Office Peon (Munshi / Attendant)
 Must have pass in 8th standard.
 Ability in cleaning and to do hospitality related works.

Work Profiles
Chief Legal Aid Defense Counsel:-
 Conducting trials and appeals and bail matters in courts along with deputy
chief & assistant legal Aid Defense Counsels,
 Assigning duties to deputy legal Aid Defense Counsels in the office,
 Assigning duties of Assistant legal Aid Defence Counsel for assisting him
and Deputy Chief legal Aid Defense Counsel and for other work including
legal research,
 Ensure proper legal research, planning effective defence strategy and
thorough preparation in each and every legal aided case,
 Ensure maintenance of complete files of legal aid seekers,
 Ensure proper documentation with regard to legal aid assistance provided,
ensure maintaining of up-to-date record of legal aided cases,
 Will be overall in charge of administration the office of Legal Aid Defense
Counsel Office. o Ensure quality of legal aid,
 Consultation and ensuring updation of the case progress to the client and
his/her relative(s),
 Any work/duty assigned by Legal Services Authority.

Deputy Chief Legal Aid Defense Counsel.
 Conducting trials/ appeals/ Remand work /Bail applications/visits to prisons
etc., as assigned by Chief Legal Aid Defense Counsel.
 Filing and arguing appeals and bail applications in Courts.
 Maintaining complete case files.
 Doing legal research in legal aided cases and guiding assistant legal Aid
Defense Counsel and law students attached with the office in legal research.
 Proper client interviews at various stages for quality research work and
representation at remand, trial and appellate stage.
 All or any of the work of the Chief defence Counsel as per assignment,
 Any work/duty assigned by Legal Services Authority.

Assistant Legal Aid Defense Counsel.
 Filing of cases, conducting trials in Magistrate trial cases,
 Remand/bail and other miscellaneous work,
 legal research in legal aided cases,
 Visits to Prison and Legal aid Clinics as per directions,
 Providing assistance at pre-arrest stage to suspects,
 Assisting Chief Legal Aid Defense Counsel and Deputy Legal Aid. Defense
Counsel (s) in conduct of legal aided cases,
 Assisting in developing a defence strategy after sifting through all of the
evidence collected by the prosecution and after hearing the accused’s
version of what happened during the alleged crime in question,
 Visiting location/area of alleged crime, having discussions with family
members etc, for effective and meaningful input for defense strategy,
 Handling queries of legal aid seekers,
 Updating legal aid seekers about the progress of their cases,
 Assisting in maintaining complete files of legal aided cases,
 Handling legal queries relating to criminal matters on telephone,
 Any other work related to legal aid assigned by Chief Legal Aid Defense
Counsel,
 Any work/duty assigned by Legal Services Authority

Clerk / Office Assistant
 Keeping updated record of legal aided cases.
 Uploading the updated record/progress of the legal aid cases on NALSA
portal.
 Maintaining complete files of legal aided cases and keeping files with
proper index in a systematic manner.
 Typing bail applications, petitions, etc.
 Doing ministerial work related to cases such as filling applications for
copies of orders, judgement etc,
 Any work/duty assigned by Legal Services Authority.

Office Peon (Munshi/Attendant)
 1.General work of MTS, Munshi or Peon.
 2. Cleaning the office before the commencement of office hours.
 3. Ensuring that all places in the office are kept clean.
 4. Brining and serving water, beverages to the visitors in the Office.
 Carrying dak etc Misc. work etc.
 Any other work assigned by Legal Services Authority

Termination of Services:
Services of any legal aid defense counsel engaged in the office of Legal
Aid Defense Counsel can be terminated at any time without any prior notice in
the following cases by the Chairman, DLSA on recommendation of the
Secretary DLSA or on directions by SLSA in writing:
 He/she substantially breaches any duty or service required in the office,
or
 Seeks or accepts any pecuniary gains or gratification in cash or kind
from the legal aid seekers or beneficiary or his friend or relative, or
 Charged or Convicted for any offence by any court of law, or
 Indulges in any type of political activities, or
 Found incapable of rendering professional services of the required
standards, or
 Failure to attend training programmes without any sufficient cause, or
 Indulges in activities prejudicial to the working of legal aid defense
counsel office, or
 Using his/her position in legal aid defense counsel office to secure
unwarranted privileges or advantages for him/herself or others, or
 Acts in breach of code of ethics, or
 Remains absent without leave for more than two weeks, or
 If services are found unsatisfactory during the six-monthly performance
review by the SLSA or DLSA

1. Chief Legal Aid Defense Counsel Rs. 70,000/-
2. Deputy Chief Legal Aid Defense Counsel Rs. 40,000/-
3. Assistant Legal Aid Defense Counsel Rs. 25,000/-
4. Office Assistants/Clerks Rs. 15,000/-
5 .Office Peon (Munshi/Attendant) Rs. 12,000/-