New Delhi: For thousands of young law graduates dreaming of becoming judges, the Supreme Court has changed the rules for entry level judicial service. The Court has reduced the earlier three-year practice requirement to one year, while introducing a new system of training and clerkship before candidates become regular judicial officers.
A bench headed by CJI Surya Kant, along with Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice K. Vinod Chandran, reviewed the Court’s May 2025 decision that had made three years of legal practice compulsory for Civil Judge (Junior Division) recruitment. Justice K. Vinod Chandran disagreed with the majority view.
No Practice Requirement Till March 2027
For recruitment notifications issued between May 20, 2025 and March 31, 2027, candidates will not need prior practice at the Bar.
However, selected candidates will first undergo one year of training at the State Judicial Academy as Trainee Judicial Officers.
After that, they will complete one year of law clerkship, six months with a Principal District Judge and six months with a sitting High Court judge.
From April 2027, One Year Practice Will Be Required
For recruitment notifications issued from April 1, 2027, candidates must have at least one year of active legal practice before applying.
After selection, they will still have to complete:
1 year practice + 1 year judicial training + 1 year law clerkship.
This effectively creates a new “1+1+1” model for entering the judiciary.
LL.M. Will Not Replace Practice
The Supreme Court also clarified that an LL.M. or other postgraduate degree will not be counted as legal practice. Candidates will have to show genuine experience of practising law, which will be verified through their practice certificates.
Why This Matters
The decision gives young law graduates a more accessible route to the judiciary while ensuring that they do not enter the courtroom without practical experience.
Instead of making candidates wait three years before applying, the Supreme Court has combined one year of practice, judicial training and supervised court experience.
The High Courts have been given three months to amend their judicial service rules in line with the new system.
For aspiring judges, the three-year barrier is gone but practical experience is still very much part of the journey.