This detailed guide breaks down exactly how many Advocates on Record (AORs) are registered with the Supreme Court of India, current 2025 statistics, growth trends, and why AORs form less than 0.002% of India’s 20 lakh legal profession. Understand the scarcity, opportunities, and career impact of joining this elite group, along with official sources and insights that matter.

Out of India’s 20 lakh registered advocates, only 3,789 names appear on one specific list.

This is the only list that matters when you need to file a case before the Supreme Court of India, because these are the only advocates legally authorized to do it.

The number 3,789 isn’t arbitrary.

It represents the entire population of Advocates on Record in a country of 1.4 billion people, making this designation statistically rarer than clearing the UPSC exam, getting into IIT, or becoming a chartered accountant. We’re talking about 0.002% of the legal profession.

So when advocates ask me whether pursuing AOR qualification makes sense in 2025, the real question isn’t about difficulty or prestige.

It’s about understanding what happens to your legal practice when you move from being one of 20,00,000 to one of 3,789.

Because that’s not just a credential change, that’s a complete restructuring of your professional economics, your client relationships, and your market positioning.

Let me show you exactly what these numbers mean and why they matter more than you think.

What is the Total Number of AOR in the Supreme Court?

Official Total Number of AoR in Supreme Court as of 2025

As of November 2025, 3,789 advocates are registered as Advocates on Record with the Supreme Court of India.

A few of those advocates include retired AoRs, those who have become judges, advocates who have shifted practice areas, and, unfortunately, those who have passed away but remain on the official registry.

In 2024, 356 advocates successfully cleared the examination, which was a significant jump from the 2023 examination, where 198 advocates passed.

Supreme Court Advocates on Record List: Official Website

You can access the official list of Advocates on Record directly from the Supreme Court of India’s website at sci.gov.in/advocate-on-record. 

The Supreme Court maintains a searchable database and regularly publishes updated PDF lists showing all registered AoRs as of specific dates.

The most recent publicly available list is dated October 9, 2025, and provides the complete roster of advocates enrolled under Order IV of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013.

This list includes each AoR’s unique registration number, full name, and enrollment date, which is critical information if you’re researching potential mentors for your one year training requirement.

Why Are AoR So Less Compared to Total Lawyers?

The extreme scarcity of AoRs compared to the total legal profession in India creates one of the most exclusive professional designations in any field.

 Understanding this gap helps you appreciate both the challenge and the opportunity that the AoR qualification represents.

How Many Lawyers are Registered in India?

Total Enrolled Advocates (20+ Lakh)

According to the Ministry of Law and Justice’s disclosure to the Rajya Sabha in March 2023, India has 20,13,081 registered lawyers across all its courts. 

This includes advocates enrolled with State Bar Councils and practicing in district courts, High Courts, tribunals, and other judicial forums throughout the country.

AoRs Represent Less Than 0.002% of All Lawyers

Here’s the stark reality: with 3,789 actively practicing AoRs out of over 20 lakh registered advocates, AoRs constitute merely 0.002% of India’s total legal profession. 

To put this in perspective, imagine a stadium with 20,000 lawyers. In that stadium, only 40 would be Advocates on Record. 

This exclusivity isn’t arbitrary; it’s the result of deliberately stringent qualification requirements designed to ensure that only the most competent advocates practice before India’s highest court.

The comparison becomes even more striking when you consider geographic concentration. 

While India has over 20 lakh advocates distributed across thousands of courts in districts, talukas, and cities nationwide, the vast majority of AoRs, approximately 70-75% are concentrated in Delhi and the National Capital Region. 

This means in most Indian states, you might find only a handful of AoRs, if any.

This scarcity is precisely what makes the AoR designation so valuable. 

When you’re one of 3,789 advocates authorized to file cases in the Supreme Court of India, the final arbiter of justice for a nation of 1.4 billion people, your professional standing and market value increase exponentially.

How to become an Advocate on Record?

The path to becoming an AoR is intentionally rigorous, which directly explains why so few advocates achieve this designation. 

The Supreme Court has designed a multi year qualification process to ensure that only thoroughly trained and competent advocates can represent parties before the apex court.

Rigorous Eligibility and Examination Requirements

The journey to AoR status requires at least 5 years of professional development before you can even register as an Advocate on Record. 

First, you must complete four years of active legal practice as an enrolled advocate with any State Bar Council. This practice experience can be in any court, district courts, High Courts, or tribunals.

After your four years of practice, you must find a senior AoR with at least 10 years of experience who is approved by the Supreme Court to provide training. 

You’ll spend one full year training under this senior AoR, learning Supreme Court practice and procedures, drafting techniques, registry requirements, and courtroom protocols. Your training AoR issues a certificate confirming your one year training.

Following your training year, you must appear for the AoR examination conducted by the Supreme Court of India. This is not a Bar Council exam or university exam; the Supreme Court itself administers this examination once annually. 

The exam tests three core areas: Supreme Court practice and procedure, drafting, professional ethics and advocacy and leading cases.

The examination is notoriously challenging. Questions require not just theoretical knowledge but practical understanding of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013, drafting requirements, filing procedures, and leading case law. 

Even after passing the examination, you’re not yet an AoR. 

You must establish a registered office within 16 kilometers of the Supreme Court building in Delhi. 

You must also hire and register a clerk with the Supreme Court Registry. 

Only after meeting all these requirements and paying the nominal registration fee of ₹250 does the Chamber Judge formally accept you as an Advocate on Record.

You can refer to my article on how to become an AOR to know about all the steps in detail to become an AOR of the Supreme Court.

Low Annual Pass Rates (20-30%)

Let me walk you through the recent AOR examination statistics that paint a clear picture of the exam’s difficulty level. 

In December 2022, the Supreme Court conducted the AOR examination, where 815 candidates appeared, and 260 advocates successfully qualified, representing approximately a 32% pass rate. 

Additionally, 93 candidates were permitted to reappear for specific papers they couldn’t clear. These numbers show that roughly two-thirds of candidates don’t clear the exam on their first attempt.

The June 2024 examination saw 356 advocates qualifying for the AOR designation, which represents a significant 37% increase in successful candidates compared to 2022. 

The increase in qualifiers could indicate either a larger number of well-prepared candidates or slightly improved pass rates compared to previous years.

What Is the Actual Pass Rate for the AOR Exam?

The AOR examination has a notoriously low pass rate, roughly ranging between 20% to 30% according to various legal education sources and historical data analysis. 

In practical terms, approximately 70- 80% of candidates who attempt the exam fail to clear it on their first attempt. 

Among the 1,000-1,200 candidates who typically attempt the exam annually, only about 200-350 succeed in qualifying. This makes the AOR exam one of the most challenging legal examinations in India, requiring not just theoretical knowledge but practical familiarity with Supreme Court procedures and extensive preparation time.

Which AOR Exam Papers Have Higher Failure Rates?

While the Supreme Court doesn’t publish paper wise failure statistics officially, analysis of candidate experiences and examiner feedback suggests that Paper II (Drafting) and Paper IV (Leading Cases) emerge as the most challenging for different reasons. 

Paper II sees high failure rates because many candidates underestimate the specificity required in Supreme Court drafting. Even advocates who regularly draft for High Courts discover that Supreme Court formats, legal grounds, synopsis requirements, and procedural citations have unique conventions.

Paper I (Practice and Procedure) is challenging but manageable if you systematically study Supreme Court Rules and key constitutional provisions. Paper III (Professional Ethics) requires analytical thinking, but the question volume is reasonable. Papers II and IV demand the most intensive, specific preparation and consequently see higher failure rates

What are the 3 myths about AOR?

Several persistent misconceptions about Advocates on Record discourage qualified advocates from pursuing this career milestone. Let me address the three most damaging myths I encounter when advising legal professionals about Supreme Court practice.

Myth 1: All Supreme Court Lawyers Are AORs

Many people assume that every lawyer arguing before the Supreme Court is an Advocate on Record.

In reality, senior advocates, junior advocates, and High Court practitioners routinely appear before the Supreme Court, but only with an AoR on record. 

The AoR files the case, maintains the record, receives court notices, and remains responsible for all procedural compliance, while other advocates may handle the actual oral arguments with the AoR’s instructions.

Myth 2: Busy practicing lawyers can’t prepare for the exam

One of the most persistent myths about the AOR exam is that you need to quit your practice and study full time to have any chance of clearing it. 

The reality is quite different; many successful AORs prepared for and cleared the exam while maintaining active legal practices, managing client responsibilities, and even handling family obligations. 

What matters is strategic preparation, not the number of hours you can dedicate. 

If you start preparing 12 months before the exam and commit to just 2 hours of focused daily study, combined with regular answer writing practice, you can cover the entire syllabus and develop the exam skills needed to succeed.

Myth 3: Only Delhi-Based Advocates Can Become AOR

While you need a registered office within 16 km of the Supreme Court, you don’t need to relocate permanently to Delhi. 

Many successful AoRs maintain their primary practice in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, or other cities and travel to Delhi for Supreme Court matters. Some establish shared chambers in Delhi or register offices with chamber sharing arrangements. 

Technology has made remote Supreme Court practice increasingly feasible; you can draft petitions from anywhere, file them through your clerk, and travel to Delhi only for important court appearances or client meetings.

How does the AOR Brand open doors for lawyers?

The limited number of AoRs creates a powerful professional brand that opens career opportunities most advocates never access. Understanding this scarcity premium is essential for evaluating whether AoR qualification aligns with your career goals.

What Does Limited AoR Count Mean for Your Career?

Becoming an Advocate on Record isn’t merely an addition to your professional credentials; it fundamentally transforms your legal practice and career trajectory. 

The AOR designation comes with exclusive Supreme Court practice rights that set you apart from the vast majority of legal practitioners in India. Understanding these rewards helps you evaluate whether pursuing this challenging qualification aligns with your career aspirations and justifies the significant time investment required for preparation.

Let me walk you through the concrete professional advantages that come with clearing the AOR exam, from exclusive practice rights to premium client access and enhanced income potential.

Exclusive Right to File and Argue in the Supreme Court

As an Advocate on Record, you gain the exclusive statutory right to file cases directly before the Supreme Court of India in your own name. Under Order IV of the Supreme Court Rules 2013, only AORs can sign and file pleadings, petitions, and applications before the apex court. 

This means that even senior advocates and lawyers with decades of High Court experience cannot file cases in the Supreme Court without engaging an AOR. 

Your signature becomes the gateway to Supreme Court litigation, positioning you as an essential intermediary in India’s highest judicial forum.

Command Premium Fees and High Profile Clients

The scarcity of AORs, representing roughly 0.002% of India’s legal profession, creates significant demand for your services. 

When clients need Supreme Court representation, they have limited options, allowing you to command premium fees that far exceed typical High Court or trial court rates. 

The AOR salary landscape in India offers one of the most attractive income trajectories in legal practice. Starting from approximately ₹12-20 lakh in your first years, you can realistically build to roughly ₹30-50 lakh by mid-career and cross around ₹1-3 crore+ annually as a senior practitioner with the right strategy, specialization, and client relationships.

Beyond immediate fee advantages, the AOR designation attracts high profile clients including corporations, government entities, and individuals with significant constitutional or commercial matters. 

These clients specifically seek AORs for their Supreme Court matters, creating a self-selecting client base that recognizes and values your specialized expertise. 

Your practice naturally elevates toward more complex, higher stakes litigation that shapes legal precedent and policy, providing both intellectual satisfaction and professional prestige alongside enhanced earnings.

Should You Pursue AoR Qualification Given the Competition?

Weighing the Investment vs. Career Benefits

The most important financial question isn’t what AORs earn, it’s whether the investment to become an AOR generates sufficient return to justify the time, money, and opportunity cost involved. 

Let me walk you through a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis so you can make an informed decision based on your specific circumstances.

What is the Total Investment Required to Become AOR?

Before committing to the AOR path, you need to understand the complete financial investment required, including both direct costs and opportunity costs that many aspiring AORs underestimate until they’re already committed to the process.

Setup Costs, Training Period, Monthly Expenses 

The direct costs of becoming an AOR are relatively modest. The examination fee is ₹750 and the registration fee after passing is ₹250, totaling just ₹1,000 in official fees. 

These negligible direct costs aren’t the real investment concern.

The significant investment is in practice setup and operation during your first year, while income is still building. You must maintain an office in Delhi within 16 kilometers of the Supreme Court, which typically costs ₹15,000-40,000 monthly, depending on whether you rent independent office space or share chambers with other AORs. 

For first year (12 months), office costs alone total ₹1.8-4.8 lakh.

You must employ a registered clerk at ₹15,000-25,000 monthly salary, adding another ₹1.8-3 lakh annually. Add professional equipment and technology such as a laptop, printer, and legal research subscriptions.

I’ll continue with a more concise approach:

The training period represents a major opportunity cost. 

During your mandatory one-year training under a senior AOR, your earning capacity is typically reduced as you dedicate time to learning Supreme Court procedures rather than handling your own practice fully.

If you’re currently earning ₹40,000-60,000 monthly from High Court practice, reducing this by even 30-40% for training represents a ₹1.5-3 lakh opportunity cost.

Adding these components, the total first year investment typically ranges from ₹3-6 lakh, depending on your choices regarding office location, clerk salary, and the extent to which you maintain existing practice during training. 

This is substantial but manageable for most mid career advocates who have accumulated some savings. 

Optimal Career Stage for AoR Examination

Timing matters enormously. I advise advocates to consider the AoR examination at two optimal career stages. 

First, if you’re 4-6 years into practice, this is an excellent time.

 You’ve met the eligibility requirement, you’re still building your practice, so revenue sacrifice isn’t catastrophic, and you’re young enough to build decades of Supreme Court practice around the AoR designation.

The second optimal window is 8-12 years into practice when you’ve established a stable income base. 

At this stage, you can afford to invest time in preparation without financial stress, you have the professional maturity to leverage the AoR brand effectively, and you likely have associates who can handle your routine matters during your training and exam period.

I generally don’t recommend attempting the AoR exam within your first 4 years of practice. Yes, you’ll technically qualify at the 4-year mark, but you’re still establishing your practice foundation. 

The year of AoR training and exam preparation might derail your momentum unless you have exceptional support structures.

Similarly, if you’re 15+ years into practice with an established reputation and comfortable income, you need to carefully assess whether Supreme Court practice aligns with your career goals. 

Some senior advocates pursue AoR status for prestige and capability enhancement even without intensive Supreme Court practice plans; that’s a valid choice if the investment makes sense for your specific situation.

When Should You Start Preparation?

6 to 12 Months Intensive Preparation Recommended

For most advocates, dedicating 6-12 months of intensive, focused preparation provides adequate time to thoroughly cover all four papers, practice timed answering, and complete multiple mock tests. 

If you have prior Supreme Court exposure through your training year or if you’re currently practicing in Supreme Court matters, 6-8 months may suffice. 

However, if you’re a High Court or trial court practitioner with limited Supreme Court familiarity, planning for 10-12 months allows you to build foundational knowledge before attempting advanced preparation. 

The timeline also depends on the daily study hours you can allocate; advocates studying 3-4 hours daily need longer preparation periods than those who can dedicate 5-6 hours daily.

Starting earlier doesn’t necessarily improve outcomes if you lose momentum midway, while starting too late creates pressure that hampers quality preparation. 

The optimal approach is beginning your structured preparation approximately 8-10 months before your target exam cycle, allowing time for comprehensive syllabus coverage (4-5 months), intensive revision (2-3 months), and mock test practice (1-2 months).

This timeline also provides a buffer for unexpected life events or professional commitments that might interrupt your study schedule.

Do not forget to also refer to the Indian Lawyers guide to cracking the Supreme Court AOR Exam for additional guidance.

Can You Prepare While Practicing? Balancing Work and Study

Yes, preparing alongside active practice is not only possible but is the reality for most AOR aspirants. 

Very few advocates have the luxury of taking extended study leave. The key lies in creating sustainable study routines that complement rather than compete with your practice. 

Early morning hours (5:30-8:00 AM) before court work begins or late evening hours (9:00-11:30 PM) after court work concludes are typically most productive for focused study. 

Utilize weekends strategically: dedicate Sundays to intensive study sessions covering new topics, and use Saturday evenings for revision of previously covered material.

During court vacations (typically summer vacation from mid-May to early July), accelerate your preparation by dedicating full days to study. 

Communicate your AOR preparation goals to your seniors, colleagues, and clients, most will support reasonable schedule adjustments when they understand you’re working toward professional advancement. 

Consider temporarily reducing your case intake 2-3 months before the exam to create more preparation time. 

Some advocates find that selective practice, focusing only on high value matters while referring smaller cases to colleagues during the preparation period, creates necessary study space without completely abandoning practice income.

Conclusion

The 3,789 Advocates on Record in India’s Supreme Court represent the absolute apex of the legal profession, which is less than 0.002% of the nation’s 20+ lakh advocates. 

This extreme scarcity isn’t accidental; it’s the result of rigorous qualification requirements and challenging examinations designed to ensure Supreme Court advocacy maintains the highest professional standards.

Understanding these numbers helps you make an informed career decision. 

If you’re considering the AOR path, remember that the limited population creates extraordinary professional advantages, enhanced credibility, premium income potential, and exclusive market positioning that sets you apart from virtually every other advocate in your city or region. 

The investment required, time, money, and opportunity cost, is substantial, but for advocates in the right practice areas and career stages, the returns justify the commitment over a multi-decade legal career.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many AORs are in the Supreme Court AOR list as of 2025?

Approximately 3,789 advocates are registered as AORs with the Supreme Court. 

How many lawyers pass the AOR Exam each year?

A total of 356 advocates successfully qualified in the AOR Exam June 2024, marking a significant increase from previous years. 

What percentage of Indian lawyers become AORs?

The AOR designation is more exclusive than many prestigious professional credentials in India. It represents less than 0.002% of the entire legal profession, a statistic that underscores just how elite and selective this category truly is. 

Where can I find the Supreme Court AOR list?

The official AOR list is available at sci.gov.in/advocate-on-record, regularly updated with a searchable database and downloadable PDF formats that show all registered AORs.

How has the AOR count grown over the years?

The June 2024 AOR Result saw 356 advocates qualifying for the AOR designation, which represents a significant 37% increase in successful candidates compared to 2022. 

Can I become an AOR if I don’t live in Delhi?

Yes, you need a registered office within 16 km of the Supreme Court, but you can maintain primary practice elsewhere, with many successful AORs based in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and other cities.

How difficult is it to become one of the few thousand AORs in India?

Extremely challenging, requires 4 years of practice, 1 year AOR training, passing a rigorous Supreme Court examination with low pass rates, and establishing the Delhi office. To know more about the syllabus, read the article on the AOR Exam Syllabus. 

Does the total number of AORs include retired advocates?

Yes, the list includes retired and inactive AORs until formal removal.