Supreme Court Law Clerk Syllabus 2026: Part I and Part II

The Supreme Court Law Clerk syllabus is set out in the Supreme Court of India's scheme for engaging Law Clerk-cum-Research Associates (January 2024, as amended). It covers two written papers. Part I is an objective test of reading comprehension, core law subjects and recent legal developments. Part II is a subjective test of legal writing and analysis. An interview follows for candidates who qualify both parts.

The scheme names the subjects but not the topics within each subject. This page turns that official list into a working checklist for each part, shows where Part I and Part II overlap, and ends with a phased plan to cover everything before the next written test. The topic lists are built from the official scheme, the judgment list the Court released for 2026 and past question papers. Use them as a guide, not as an official topic list.

Syllabus at a Glance

Key Changes to Know

• New criminal laws are in: The current scheme lists the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) alongside the IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act. Prepare both sets and the correspondence between sections.

• The 2025 clarification: In January 2025 the Court clarified that the CrPC, IPC and Evidence Act were part of that year's syllabus. Expect questions that test both the old and new codes.

• Official judgment lists: Since 2024 the Court has released a list of relevant judgments before the exam. The 2026 list had 58 entries ranging from 1985 to 2026 and was described as illustrative, not exhaustive.

• Part I time is 2.5 hours: Older pages may still show a three-hour paper. Follow the current scheme.

Part I Syllabus: Objective Test

Part I has 100 multiple-choice questions of one mark each. The scheme groups them into three areas: a reading comprehension passage in English, analytical questions on named statutes, and recent developments in law from the past year.

The questions are analytical. Many give a short fact pattern and ask which provision or principle applies, so memorising section numbers alone is not enough. The Constitution and criminal law usually form a large share of the paper, and recent developments can swing scores sharply because they cannot be learnt from textbooks.

Reading comprehension: what to expect

The comprehension passage is usually long and dense, often drawn from a judgment or a legal essay. Questions test whether you can identify the main argument, separate the court's reasoning from a party's submission and infer what the author would accept. Speed matters because the passage competes for time with 100 questions. Practise by reading a judgment extract of about 1,000 words and answering five questions on it within 12 minutes.

New criminal codes: how to prepare the mapping

Questions can be framed under either the old or the new code, so build a two-column sheet for each pair: BNS against IPC, BNSS against CrPC and BSA against the Evidence Act. Start with the provisions that appear most in court work, such as general exceptions, murder and culpable homicide, cheating, arrest, bail, confessions and electronic records. Mark every provision that is new, merged or substantially changed, because those are natural question material.

How to read the official judgment list

For each judgment on the list, note the bench strength, the legal question, the holding and any earlier ruling it overruled or clarified. Group the judgments by subject so that each one also strengthens your Constitution, criminal law or civil law preparation. Since the list is illustrative, add other major rulings from the same period.

Part II Syllabus: Subjective Written Test

Part II has no fixed list of topics. It tests whether you can read legal material and write clearly within limits. The scheme sets out three tasks in a paper of 300 marks and 3 hours 30 minutes, which includes 30 minutes of reading time.

Question 1: Brief preparation

You receive a case file and must condense it into a synopsis a Judge can read before the hearing. A good synopsis covers:

• Facts: Only the facts that matter to the dispute, in date order.

• Issues: Each question of law framed as a single sentence.

• Arguments: The main submissions of each side, without repetition.

• Applicable law: The provisions and precedents that decide the issues.

Question 2: Research memo

The memo answers a specific legal question. Structure it as question presented, short answer, discussion of the law and conclusion. Cite authorities accurately and keep your own view clearly separated from the settled position.

Question 3: Analytical question

You pick one of five questions, usually on a constitutional, criminal or civil law theme or a recent development. Choose the question where you can cite the most authority, take a clear position and stay within 500 words.

Overlap Between Part I and Part II

What Past Papers Show About the Syllabus

The Supreme Court hosts previous question papers on its website, including separate Part 1 and Part 2 papers for 2023, 2024 and 2025. Working through them shows three patterns you should plan around:

• Application over recall: Most MCQs give a short set of facts and ask which rule applies, which rewards reading provisions with illustrations and case examples.

• Weight on constitutional law and recent rulings: Constitution Bench decisions and judgments from the year before the exam appear regularly, so current legal awareness is not a side topic.

• Realistic writing tasks: Part II papers mirror the actual work of a clerk, so practise with real judgments and case records rather than essay-style questions.

The scheme does not fix the number of questions per subject, and the split changes from year to year. Use the past papers to judge the depth of each subject, not to predict an exact count.

Is There a Syllabus for the Interview?

No. The scheme does not prescribe a syllabus for the interview. Shortlisted candidates submit preferences of Judges and are considered by rank. Those not placed with a Judge can take the Registry interview of 150 marks, with a cut-off of at least 50%, to enter the Reserve Pool. Expect questions on your written answers, your academic background, judgments you have studied and why you want the clerkship.

Reading List and Study Material

Keep the list short. Reading the bare acts closely and summarising judgments yourself builds the exact skills both parts of the exam test.

How to Cover the Supreme Court Law Clerk Syllabus

1. Weeks 1 to 6, foundations: Read the Constitution and the three criminal law codes with their older counterparts. Make a section mapping sheet. Start daily reading of judgment extracts for comprehension.

2. Weeks 4 to 8, civil law and current law: Cover CPC and the Contract Act. Start monthly notes on new judgments and update them every week.

3. Weeks 6 to 10, writing practice: Write one case synopsis and one research memo each week under timed conditions. Compare each one against the official past Part 2 papers.

4. Weeks 8 to 12, topic tests: Take subject-wise MCQ tests and solve official past Part 1 papers. Record every error in an error log.

5. Final phase, full mocks: Attempt full-length Part I mocks in 2.5 hours, analyse them the same day and revise from your error log and judgment notes.

Previous question papers, the scheme and the judgment list for each cycle are published on the Supreme Court website. Official notices page: https://www.sci.gov.in/judicial-clerkship/.