SC Approves Revised Guidelines For Legal Clerks, To Be Paid ₹80,000 Monthly Salary

The Apex Court has recently approved revised guidelines for hiring law clerk-cum-research associates on short-term contractual assignments in the Supreme Court of India.

The law clerks will be hired on a strictly on a short-term contractual assignment, beginning with the Court’s re-opening after the summer vacation and ending with the conclusion of the summer vacation the following year.

The tenure can be extended for another year if the Judge to whom the law clerk is assigned or the senior-most Judge on the Committee of Judges on Law Clerks is satisfied and approves.

A law clerk will be paid Rs 80,000 per month for the assignment tenure, with an additional Rs 90,000 paid if the initial assignment is extended after twelve months.

The Court’s Judges will be able to hire four law clerks, two of whom must be chosen through the Registry’s selection procedure. They will also have the option of involving all four during the process. Furthermore, depending on their workload, they can hire up to five legal clerks.

Notably, the law clerk’s time on the job will be counted for the purpose of eligibility requirement for the Supreme Court’s Advocates-on-Record (AoR) examination.

They will be trained on the preparation of briefs, case notes, research notes, and other documents by the Centre for Research and Planning or the Training Cell of the Supreme Court’s Registry after being chosen and before being engaged in the Court.