Membership Privileges
The General Counsels’ Association of India aims to seek recognition and regulation of in-house Counsel services in India bringing them at par with lawyers in practice.
Access to Resources
Gain access to a wide range of resources, including policy documents, publications and training material provided through collaborations with leading institutions both in India and abroad.
Network Expansion
As a GCAI member, you’ll instantly connect with a network of legal professionals including General Counsels from diverse industries and practice areas.
Collaborations
Interact and collaborate with other like-minded professionals through various projects, giving you the opportunity to advance both the profession and your own personal goals.
Professional Development an Internships
Students and early career professionals can look forward to internships, mentorship and guidance to kickstart their legal journey.
a. Associate General Counsel 10 - 14 years of experience
b. Fellow General Counsel 15- 19 years of experience
c. Senior General Counsel 20 + years of experience
Eligibility
You are eligible if:
1. You are a law graduate from any recognised university approved by the Bar Council of India.
2. You are/were employed with any legal entity in India as the head of legal function.
All general counsels shall be eligible for membership to GCAI, and will fall into the following categories.
Membership FAQ
GCAI was formed from the need to have better representation for general counsels in India. Therefore, our main objective is to create a distinct professional identity for general counsels and recognise their expertise as a separate and specialised stream of legal practice.
As a member of GCAI, you will be able to collaborate with like-minded professionals in the field during networking events, enhance your employment opportunities, contribute to thought leadership, promote public service and further boost diversity and ethical standards in the profession.
GCAI is an association set up by general counsels, for general counsels. As active and former members of the profession, GCAI has a vested interest in promoting and seeking better representation of in-house legal teams in the legal landscape for legal professionals; while collaborating with various institutions to provide industry relevant internships, mentoring and training opportunities for law students. GCAI aims to advance diversity and ethical practices with the help of general counsels from all backgrounds throughout India.
General counsels provide legal services for their organisation, but section 49 of the Bar Council of India's Rules forbids them from practicing as an advocate while employed at said organisation. GCAI is working to represent in-house counsel as full-fledged members of the legal profession, properly acknowledging them and their years of dedicated hard-work and experience as legal professionals.
Recognising general counsels and in-house legal teams to be on par with other legal professionals will enhance corporate governance and improve compliance; shifting to a more proactive legal strategy, allowing the early identification and resolution of issues before they escalate to litigation. Furthermore, it would boost the economy by strengthening the legal community in the corporate sector, making India more attractive for foreign investment.
How to become a member?
Step 1
Send us your profile by emailing us at info@gcai.in.
Step 2
Once your profile is approved we will invite you to complete the next steps.
Step 3
Complete your payment to unlock full membership benefits and join our community.