How to Become a Judge after 12th: Career Guide, Courses, Eligibility, Top Colleges, Jobs, Skills, Benefits, Salary

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Our judiciary consists of the Supreme Court (National level), the High Court, and lower courts at the state level. Each court possesses its own panel of judges with different powers and responsibilities. Judges are qualified and skilled professionals who precides over various court proceedings. They are in charge of court trials and thereby decide an accused to be guilty or innocent on the basis of evidence presented. Becoming a Judge requires students to clear various levels of competitive examinations. Candidates are required to have experience and substantial knowledge to be eligible for the examination. Candidates must complete LLB and thereafter clear the Judiciary entrance exams to become a Judge. After completing the required degrees candidates must then clear the AIB exams, followed by gaining relevant years of experience working as a Lawyer. The average starting Salary of a Judge is INR 8.50 LPA and the highest package is INR 24 LPA. The top recruiters are Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission, Bihar Public Service Commission, Maharashtra Public Service Commission, and Orissa Public Service Commission.

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Job of a Judge	How to Become a Civil Judge

Table of Contents

How to Become A Judge After 12^th: Quick Facts
Eligibility to Become Judge After 12^th

2.1 Supreme Court Judge

2.2 High Court Judge

2.3 District Court Judge

Steps to Become Judge After 12^th
Courses to Become Judge After 12^th

4.1 Entrance Exams

Top Law Colleges
Skills Required to Become Judge After 12^th
Benefits of Becoming Judge After 12^th
Judge Salary
How to Become Judge After 12^th: FAQs

How to Become A Judge after 12^th: Quick Facts

Eligibility Criteria	The candidate must have a B.ALL.B/B.Com LL.B/B.B.A.LL.B/LLM degree (3 or 5 years) from a recognized university Must be a citizen of India Local language fluency (for some states)
Skills Required	The judge should be unbiased and compassionate. He must possess humility, emotional intelligence, and tolerance.
Starting Salary (INR)	8.50 LPA
Average Salary (INR)	24 LPA
Highest Salary (INR)	33.6 LPA

Eligibility to Become Judge After 12^th

The basic eligibility criteria to become a Judge after 12th are listed below for your reference.

UG: The candidates must pass the law entrance exam and complete the undergraduate course.
PG: Candidates if interested can complete their postgraduation (LLM) from a recognized university. They must clear the entrance exam to be enrolled in a postgraduate course.
After UG: Candidates must clear Judicial Services Examination. The candidate must have a minimum of 55% marks in any law subject in order to be eligible for the test. The exam has 3 stages

Preliminary: The minimum marks required are 60% for the general category and 55% for reserved.

Mains: The minimum marks required are 55% Interview/ Viva.

The candidates who clear all 3 rounds are appointed as District Magistrate, Additional district magistrate, or district judge.

Eligibility for a Supreme Court Judge

The candidates must fulfil the following requirements to be Supreme Court judges.

Indian citizen
Candidate must have an LLB/LLM degree from a recognized university
They must have served as a high court judge for 5 years or as a high court advocate for 10 years

Eligibility for a High Court Judge

The candidates must fulfil the following requirements to be a High Court judge.

Indian citizen
Candidate must have an LLB/LLM degree from a recognized university
They must have held a judicial post for 10 years or must be a high court judge for 10 years

Eligibility for a Subordinate Judge

The candidates must fulfil the following requirements to be a High Court judge.

Indian citizen
Candidate must have an LLB/LLM degree from a recognized university
They must have passed the Public Service Commission Test

Steps to Become a Judge after 12^th

The candidates must follow the following procedure to become a judge

Undergraduate: The candidates must have completed undergraduate of either 3 or 5 years
Internship: Practice law under the supervision of legal specialists like advocates, judges, or APOs. It provides the candidates with a skill advantage.
Enrollment with the bar council: The candidates must register with the bar council. Certain states require registration with the bar council to appear for the test.
State Public Service Commission Examination: The candidates must prepare for the exam and bring the requisite percentage in the examination.

Courses to Become a Judge after 12^th

Tabulated below are some of the top courses that can be pursued by candidates aspiring to become a Judge after 12th for your reference.

Parameters	LLB	BA LLB	B.Com LLB
Eligibility	Passed 10+2 with minimum 45% marks	Passed 10+2 with minimum 50% marks	Passed 10+2 with minimum 55% marks
Entrance exam	CLAT, SET, AP LAWCET	AILET, SLAT, CLAT, LSAT	CLAT.TS LAWCET, SET, MHT CET
Top colleges	NLSUI, NLU, NALSAR	NLSUI, NLU, NALSAR	NLSUI, NLU, NALSAR
Course Fees (INR)	2,50,000 – 4,50,000	1,50,000 – 15,00,000	1,60,000 – 6,50,000
Average Salary (INR)	4 LPA to 6 LPA	3 LPA to 6 LPA	2 LPA to 3 LPA

Entrance Exams

The students must clear the entrance exam to get admission to LLB courses. The deadline for an application form, exam date, and expected results date are given below.

Name of the Exams	Application Deadlines	Exam Dates	Result Declaration
CLAT	July 21 – November 3, 2023	December 3,2023	December 2023
LSAT	January Session: August 14, 2023 – January 10, 2024 May Session: August 14, 2023 – May 7, 2024	January Session: January 20 – 21, 2024 May Session: May 16 – 19, 2024	January Session: February 7, 2024 May Session: TBA
AILET	March 21 – June 3, 2024	June 23, 2024	TBA

Top Law Colleges

There are several law colleges in India; however. The top law colleges in India are listed below.

College	Location	Course Fees (INR)
National Law School of India University	Bangalore	1,50,000
National Law University	Delhi	1,38,000
MIT World Peace University	Pune	2,45,000
NALSAR University of Law	Hyderabad	3,34,000
LPU Jalandhar	Jalandhar	4,32,000
IIT Kharagpur	Kharagpur	1,63,000
Parul University	Vadodara	1,20,000
National Law University	Jodhpur	1,99,000
Symbiosis Law School	Pune	1,80,000

Skills Required to Become a Judge after 12^th

A judge is a highly respectable position that commands several responsibilities on the individual. They must possess certain skills to perform their duties.

Unbiased	Integrity	Reasoning
Impartial	Interpersonal	Judicial Temperament
Analytical	Communication	Legal Expertise

Benefits of Becoming a Judge after 12^th

There are enormous benefits of becoming a judge

Secure job: The judges have a specific tenure until they retire. It provides them with extreme job security and hence it is the most sought-after career.
Competitive salary: Many judges have a 6-figure salary. They have comfortable living and financial security.
Retirement benefits: Judges receive many retirement benefits like pensions and healthcare.
Impact on society: They protect the law and rights of individuals and leave a good impact on society.
Public service: They serve the community and help them uphold their rights.

Salary of a Judge

The salary of a Judge salary varies anywhere between INR 85,000 to INR 5,00,000. It increases based on his experience, position, and rank.

Designations	Average Annual Salary (INR)
Junior Civil Judge	6 L
Junior Civil Judge (After 5 years)	7.50 L
Junior Civil Judge (1st career progression after 5 years)	7.75 L
Senior civil judge	10 L
Senior civil judge (After 5 years)	12 L
Senior civil judge (1st career progression after 5 years)	12.50 L
District judge	12 L
District judge (Selection grade after 5 years of entry grade)	13 L
District judge (3 years after selection grade)	17 L

How to Become a Judge After 12^th: FAQs

Ques. How much till does it take to become a judge?

Ans. A person requires years of dedication and experience to become a judge. It can take many years to develop the necessary expertise.

Ques. How much does the chief justice of India earn?

Ans. The average annual salary of the chief justice of India is between INR 21.47 LPA to 23 LPA.

Ques. How is a district judge selected?

Ans. The district judge is appointed by the governor in collaboration with the Supreme Court. They must qualify for the Public Service Commission’s Judicial Services Examination.

Ques. Is the Judicial Servis Commission curriculum the same in all the states?

Ans. No the Judicial Service Commission curriculum may differ from state to state.

Ques. What are the qualifying marks for the prelims?

Ans. The candidates must score a minimum of 60% in the preliminary examination. The reserved category candidates are required to have 55% marks.

Ques. What is the exam pattern for CLAT?

Ans. The CLAT is an objective type exam and has sections of Numerical Ability, English Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, General Awareness, Legal Awareness, and Legal Aptitude.

Ques. Which city pays the highest to judge?

Ans. Delhi pays the highest to a judge with an average annual salary of INR 7.55 LPA.

Ques. Does the prelims and mains marks taken into consideration at the final level?

Ans. The preliminary marks are not taken into account at the final stage. Only the main marks are taken into consideration for the final interview process.

Ques. What is the pattern of the main examination?

Ans. Mains exam is of a subjective type with 3 to 4 papers. The candidates must qualify in all the papers.

Ques. Is a diploma course candidate qualified to sit in the exam?

Ans. Candidates with diplomas or certificate courses are not eligible for the exam. They must have completed a law course (3 year or 5 year) to be eligible for the exam.

Master of Laws [L.L.M.] : 3 answered questions

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Ques. How is LLM in Azim Premji University?

● Top Answer By Pravin Gaurav on 01 Feb 21

Ans. Azim Premji university is a private, non-profit institution with affiliation from UGC. It offers BA, MA, L.L.M, B.Sc. courses. A relative of mine who has been studying there has recommended the Institute based on its eligibility criteria, good placements and campus life. Admission and eligibility criteria - To be eligible for admission, students are expected to have passed LLB courses of 3 year or 5 year duration followed by a written test and interview. The L.L.M course at Azim Premji university is lucrative for its course structure, which sets it apart from others. A very significant part of the curriculum is the fieldwork component, which is a unique feature of APU. The fieldwork element plays a crucial role in providing a different perspective of the law, which students would have studied in theory. The typical structure of exams is also absent from the LLM course at APU. Instead, response papers are given to students with a deadline of 24 hours for submission of the paper. This new approach to the exam system at APU, helps the student to be more attentive towards the course curriculum, ensuring long term retention of the knowledge gained.The faculty of APU has been vouched for as one of the best, by many former students of the university, even considered better than other law schools of repute. Overall, APU is a very good university to do your LLM from. Everything at the university starting from campus life to placements will surely meet up to your expectations. This distinctive aspect of APU, makes it a different and a much better alternative to other universities following the traditional approach and also the National Law University(NLU).Read more

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Ques. What is the average package of NLSIU Bangalore after doing an LLM?

● Top Answer By Anurag Bindra on 13 Oct 21

Ans. As most of these LLM graduates start off on the academic side of things, the pay grade is equivalent to that mandated by the UGC for all institutions in all states. You can get a job role for an Assistant Professor or the likes. However, this does not stand true for Private Institutes that hire LLM graduates. They most times than not, do not pay more than the government institutes. But it all depends on your personal choice and the kind of work environment you would like to be in. You can always consult with the immediate batches to understand the current standings on the placement front. Connect with them one-to-one and you might get a better and clearer idea of what to expect. Read more

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Ques. How is the LLM program at Parul University, Vadodara?

● Top Answer By Nikhil Kankaria on 03 Nov 20

Ans. Parul University is one of the prestigious universities in western Gujarat providing major courses in the educational domain. It provides multidisciplinary courses that allow an individual to explore every aspect of practical courses provided. Masters in Law is one such program offered by the university to bring in more interest in various streams of law. It proves to give them an open forum for expressing opinions and learning at the same time. The details are as follows: Admission The university provides this course at INR 30000. It is a one year course and it accepts online application modes. The specializations offered are Criminal & Security Law, Environmental Law, Public Policy & Governance, Human Rights, Intellectual Rights, and International Law. Eligibility The candidate must have cleared 3 year LLB Programme after graduation or a 5-year Integrated Law Degree. Facilities Moot court facilities to nurture the practicality of the course. Legal Aid Clinic has been created to provide legal benefits to underprivileged classes. Interactive sessions with high court and supreme court judges. The university provides quite a large number of opportunities to its individuals to experience global options as well. The primary placements made are for the role: Public Prosecutor Company Secretary Attorney General Arbitrator Parul University can surely be a good option provided you are ready to align your goals with that of college. It has a track record of giving good placements in the field of law as it tries to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the courses offered. It gives them the option to explore parliamentary debates and contests while strategically imparting the needed practical acumen to the students. It’s definitely a worth course as it is affordable but it is from a top-notch institute.Read more

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