When it comes to practicing at the Supreme Court of India as an Advocate on Record (AoR), the general perception of elitism and nepotism is hard to ignore, whatever the reality.
In a report made public as part of a petition in a case dating back to 2015, controversial Mumbai-based advocate Mathews J. Nedumpara submitted that 33 percent of Supreme Court judges and 50 percent of High Court judges were from families whose members were already among the “higher echelons” of the judiciary.
According to his report, the Supreme Court has a sanctioned strength of 31 judges, of whom six were sons of former judges as of 2015. The report also mentioned the appointment of over 88 judges in 13 High Courts, who were either born to a family of lawyers and judges, or had worked under established legal names.
Family business?
No comparable data for AoR at the Supreme Court is currently available, but you can be sure that the general perception among large parts of the legal community is that the system runs like a family business similar to the judiciary, where lawyers who come from families with a legal background always prevail over first-generation practitioners.
This inter-generational tradition of legal service only rewards lawyers who inherit their chambers from a family member, and therefore find it easy to crack the exam and register themselves as AoRs, receiving support in terms of both logistics and knowledge.
But what about those who are still wondering how to take that first step toward a Supreme Court practice as an AoR?
From getting admission to ‘good’ law schools to getting good chambers, many first-generation law students and lawyers often struggle to reach the peak of the legal profession despite having the required potential.
Happily, access to the digital space and universalisation of knowledge has started to change the legal world. Now, the desire to carve out a career in the highest court of the land is not limited only to alumni from famed law schools. So called ‘ordinary’ legal professionals from less privileged backgrounds are also dreaming of reaching the top court.
But just dreaming is not enough.
What this means for you
More and more first-generation advocates actively striving to reach the top court of the country will not only boost the democratic functioning of the judiciary but also of the nation. That is why it is important that lawyers practicing in lower courts, High Courts and even in the chambers of Supreme Court advocates aspire to establish themselves as Advocates on Record.
In order to achieve that goal, you will need to crack the AoR exam, which is challenging, but nowhere near as tough as the general perception seems to be.
In order to achieve that goal, you will need to crack the AoR exam, which is challenging, but nowhere near as tough as the general perception seems to be.
Which is why we would like to invite you to join our Certificate Course on Certificate Course in Qualifying as a Supreme Court Lawyer: Crack the Advocate on Record Examination.
Important: Since this course is for AoR at the Supreme Court of India, it is open to Indian law students and/or lawyers only. The sessions will not be useful unless you are a legal professional practicing in India.
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