Judicial Services as a career is one of the alternatives that law students and professionals yearn for. Other than being quite a remunerative career option, it offers stability, comfort, a secured tenure and most importantly the respect among the strata of society that one has a craving of.  One of the biggest privileges that it offers is that it has a backing of the independence guaranteed by the Constitution of India. Indian democracy is said to rest on four pillars, judiciary being one of them has been ensured independence unlike other civil services, providing the judges immunity from encroachment by the legislature and executive. That is the judges on the front cannot be pressurized or influenced by the politicians and the executives.

Speaking of the doorway into the judicial services, the Indian Constitution provides for lower judicial services and higher judicial services. For fresh graduates, lower judiciary is the quickest way to enter into the stream just after clearing their final semester exams of law school or even in appearing. The lower judiciary exam is known as THE CIVIL JUDGE JUNIOR DIVISION which is conducted in three stages namely the preliminary, mains and the interview. Every state or the concerned HC has a set pattern for this examination.

The other way is to directly enter as an ADJ or ADDITIONAL DISTRICT JUDGE but after gaining an experience of seven years at the bar. Just like the civil judge junior division exam this also is conducted in three stages namely the prelims, mains and the interview, by the concerned PSCs and the HCs. However the name of the examination may vary from one state to another.

Eligibility

When we talk of the eligibility for becoming a Civil Judge (junior division) one must be:

• A citizen of India.
• The age limit should range from 21 years to 35 years; and should’ve
• Completed graduation in law from a BCI recognized college or university.

For becoming an Additional District Judge or ADJ which is for practicing lawyers, one must:

• Be a citizen of India.
• The age should range between 35 years to 45 years,
• And must have gained at least 7 years of experience at Bar after completing graduation in law from a BCI recognized college or university.

Thus one can enter into the judicial services as it is a respectable career option, for the state PSCs and HCs provide for good number of vacancies on a regular basis, almost every year. Once the interview stage is cleared not more time is taken for completing the training stage with the procedure of final postings.

To download the examination pattern, stages and the syllabus of the Judicial Services Examination conducted by certain states please visit the 'Syllabus' section on the home page.

NOTE: The details of the exams have been provided keeping in mind a general structure of the exams conducted by various states. However the eligibility criteria, syllabus and pattern is subject to future and timely changes made by the concerned state and the candidates are advised to check the official notification released by the public service commission of the state organising a particular examination. The above mentioned details are just meant to provide a general overview of the exam and are not to be strictly relied upon.