Supreme Court Law Clerk

This Supreme Court Law Clerk exam guide is for law graduates and final-year law students who want a fixed-term research clerkship at the Supreme Court of India. The 2026-27 cycle is now complete: the written test was held on 7 March 2026, the shortlist was revised after re-evaluation in June 2026, and the Reserve Pool list came out in August 2026.

Below you will find what the exam is, eligibility, the stipend, the three-part selection process, the syllabus, past cut-off marks and a practical preparation plan, so you can get ready before the next notification. Historically, that notification appears in January.

Table of Contents

What is Supreme Court Law Clerk?

The Supreme Court Law Clerk exam is the selection test the Supreme Court of India uses to engage Law Clerk-cum-Research Associates (LCRAs) on a short-term contractual basis. The Court's Recruitment Cell runs it once a year, one cycle for each assignment term, and it is a national-level engagement: eligible law graduates from anywhere in India can apply, and the 2026 written test was held in 23 cities. Selected clerks work for one term with a Judge of the Supreme Court or in the Registry, researching case law, preparing case synopses and drafting research memos.

This is not a permanent government post. It pays a consolidated monthly stipend, and the engagement gives no right to regular appointment. Most candidates are fresh law graduates and final-year law students aged 20 to 32 who want close exposure to Supreme Court work before moving into litigation, judicial service, academia or further study. Selection runs in three stages: a Part I objective MCQ test, a Part II subjective written test, and then Judge interactions or a Registry interview.

Supreme Court Law Clerk at a Glance

What a Law Clerk-cum-Research Associate Does

A Law Clerk-cum-Research Associate supports a Supreme Court Judge with legal research and case preparation. Typical work includes reading case files, preparing synopses before hearings, finding relevant precedents and drafting research notes. Clerks placed in the Registry assist with research work there.

Under the January 2024 scheme (as amended), the Chief Justice and each Judge are entitled to four Law Clerks, and the first two must come through the Registry's selection process. The work is full-time. It can involve working at the Judge's residence outside office hours and on holidays. Clerks cannot take any other assignment or practise as advocates during the term.

Why candidates apply

The clerkship offers a year of close work on Supreme Court matters, exposure to how Judges prepare for hearings and a strong research and writing record. Many candidates take it as a bridge between law school and litigation, judicial service, academia or further study. It is a fixed-term engagement, so plan your next step before the term ends.

Latest Notification and Current Status

The Supreme Court published the detailed advertisement (No. F.21(LC)/2026-SC(RC)) on 20 January 2026 for the 2026-2027 assignment term. It invited online applications for a panel of approximately 90 candidates. The fee and the stipend were both revised upward compared with the 2025 cycle.

The 2026 cycle had one unusual development. After the first shortlist was published on 17 April 2026, the Court noted that the agency which conducted Part I had admitted lapses. The Part I answer scripts of 8,229 candidates were re-evaluated. A revised list of 848 qualified candidates and a fresh interview shortlist were issued on 17 and 18 June 2026. On 19 August 2026, the Court published a list of 201 candidates placed in the Reserve Pool or Wait List after the Registry interview.

Next cycle: As of 28 October 2026, no notification for the 2027-2028 term has been published. The last two advertisements came out in January (registration opened on 14 January 2025 and 20 January 2026), so a January 2027 release is likely but not confirmed.

Important Dates

The 2027-28 date is an estimate based on the last two cycles and can change. Track the Judicial Clerkship page on the Supreme Court website and your registered email for the actual schedule.

Positions, Stipend (Salary) and Term of Engagement

The Court does not announce category-wise vacancies for this engagement. Each advertisement invites applications for a panel, which was approximately 90 candidates in both the 2025 and 2026 cycles.

The engagement gives no right to regular appointment. The application fee also went up between the two cycles, from Rs. 500 to Rs. 750 plus bank charges.

Supreme Court Law Clerk Eligibility

Educational qualification

You need a bachelor's degree in law, including an integrated law degree, from an institution recognised by the Bar Council of India. Students in the fifth year of a five-year integrated course or the third year of a three-year course can apply. They must show proof of the law qualification before taking up the assignment.

Age limit

You must be between 20 and 32 years of age on the last date of registration. For the 2026 cycle, that date was 7 February 2026. The 2026 advertisement and scheme do not list any category-wise age relaxation.

Skills and other conditions

• Research and writing: The scheme asks for strong research, analytical and writing skills.

• Computer and database skills: Working knowledge of legal databases such as e-SCR, SCC Online, Manupatra, LexisNexis and Westlaw is expected.

• Clean record: Candidates must not have a criminal conviction or a pending criminal trial.

For the full rules and common disqualifiers, see the Supreme Court Law Clerk eligibility guide.

Application Fee and How to Apply

Applications are accepted only online through the link on the Supreme Court website. Postal applications are not accepted.

1. Open the Judicial Clerkship page on the Supreme Court website and find the online registration link for the current cycle.

2. Register with your basic details and note the registration ID and password.

3. Fill in your education, personal details and test city preference.

4. Upload your photograph, signature and any documents asked for in the notification.

5. Pay the fee online through the payment gateway named in the advertisement (UCO Bank in 2026).

6. Check everything before submitting. An application cannot be modified or withdrawn, and if you submit more than once, only the last one is considered.

Supreme Court Law Clerk Exam Pattern

Part I and Part II are held on the same day in two sessions, with a break between them. Part I is an online test. Part II is written with pen and paper while the question paper is shown on screen.

Each wrong answer in Part I costs 0.25 marks.

What this means for you:

• Accuracy beats volume: Four wrong guesses cancel one correct answer, so attempt only questions you can narrow down to two options.

• Part II carries the weight: It is worth 300 of the 400 written marks used for the shortlist, so writing practice is not optional.

Older pages may still show a three-hour Part I or a 40% Part I cut-off. Follow the current scheme and notification. The Supreme Court Law Clerk exam pattern page explains marking and time strategy in detail.

Part I vs Part II vs Interview: Stage-wise Comparison

The three stages test very different skills, so they need different preparation.

Syllabus Summary

For the 2026 exam, the Court also released a list of relevant judgments and described it as illustrative, not exhaustive. A topic-wise breakdown and study order are on the Supreme Court Law Clerk syllabus page.

Selection Process

1. Written test: Candidates must clear the minimum marks in Part I and Part II. If many candidates qualify Part I, Part II scripts are evaluated for about ten times the tentative vacancies.

2. Merit list: Results are based on combined Part I and Part II marks. The top candidates, roughly three times the tentative vacancies, are shortlisted.

3. Judge preferences: Shortlisted candidates submit their preference of Judges. Judges consider candidates by preference and rank, and interactions are scheduled on that basis.

4. Registry interview: Candidates not placed with a Judge can opt for the Registry interview (150 marks, 50% cut-off) to enter the Reserve Pool or Wait List.

5. Engagement: Final engagement follows certificate verification and other formalities, including two references, at least one from a faculty member.

Cut-off Reference

The Supreme Court states the aggregate written marks (Part I plus Part II, out of 400) needed for the interview shortlist, along with the minimum marks for each stage. No category-wise cut-off has been published, so every figure below applies to all candidates.

Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, the number of positions and the number of applicants. Treat these figures as a benchmark only. More detail is on the Supreme Court Law Clerk cut-off page.

How to Prepare for the Supreme Court Law Clerk Exam

Part I preparation

• Read bare acts side by side: Study BNS with IPC, BNSS with CrPC and BSA with the Evidence Act, so you can handle questions framed under either code.

• Track judgments monthly: Keep one page per month on key Supreme Court rulings, with the facts, the issue and the holding.

• Practise comprehension: Read one long judgment extract a day and summarise its reasoning in five lines.

Part II preparation

• Write to word limits: Practise a 750-word case synopsis and a 600-word research memo every week under time pressure.

• Use official past papers: The Supreme Court website hosts previous question papers, including Part 1 and Part 2 papers from 2023 to 2025.

Mock tests and practice

The Supreme Court does not host a standing mock test for this exam. For the 2025 cycle, it published practice links through a notice on its Judicial Clerkship page, so check that page close to the exam. Official notices page: https://www.sci.gov.in/judicial-clerkship/.

For official notices, admit cards and results, use the official website: https://www.sci.gov.in/.