The road to becoming a judge is long and takes a lot of hard work, but it can lead to a promising career. The post of a judge, counted among the most prestigious professions, is at the top of the judicial system. The job of a judge comes with great responsibilities and can be extremely demanding.
There are many students who aspire to be judges at a young age, and then there are others who carry those aspirations into adolescence and actually fulfill them. If you too have a dream of becoming a judge and want to know how to start, then this blog is very important for you.
Through this blog, we will provide you all the necessary information related to the law course along with the important roles and responsibilities of a judge, as well as you will know how to become a judge.
Who are the judges?
A judge is a person who, either by himself or as part of a panel of judges, presides over court proceedings. A judge hears all witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barrister or solicitor of the case, assesses the credibility and arguments of the parties, and then passes judgment on the case based on their interpretation of the law and their own personal judgement. A judge is expected to conduct a trial fairly and, usually, in an open court.
How to become a Judge: Skills to become a judge
Along with knowing how to become a judge, you should also know what skills a judge must have, such as-
- There should be social awareness.
- Critical thinking should come.
- Must know how to analyze.
- Must have an understanding of financial practices and concepts.
- Must have the ability to resolve conflicts and ensure compliance.
- You must have the skills of judgment and decision making.
- Must be able to review, create and negotiate legal documents such as agreements, contracts, etc.
- Must be aware of all corporate policies and practices.
What does a judge do?
Also known as the 'Guardian of the Constitution', a judge is someone who occupies a position of authority in court proceedings. The powers and responsibilities of a judge differ in different jurisdictions. There are many values, emotions and stakes attached to each case brought before a judge.
A judge is responsible for deciding the fate of the plaintiff and the accused person. While some of the roles are played in the courtroom during the trial, a lot of the work like seeking opinions, researching, discussing matters is done behind the scenes in chambers. The fundamental responsibilities of judges include:
- Supervises trials and hears charges of prosecutors and defendants, testimony of witnesses, etc.
- A judge informs/reminds the defendant/plaintiff of their rights.
- The judge also has the power to rule on the admissibility of evidence.
- They also instruct the jury and determine whether the defendant is guilty or innocent.
- A judge then decides on the sentence or punishment awarded to the culprits. They also determine how long the sentence will last.
- The decision given by the Chief Justice is final. All these decisions are made on the basis of a thorough and careful understanding of the test.
- Apart from these responsibilities in the court, a judge is the guardian of the constitution and protector of fundamental rights. This means that the conflicts of any state or central government will be reviewed by the judiciary keeping all rights and laws in check.
How to become a judge in India?
The Indian judicial system is an integrated judicial system composed of High Courts at the Supreme Court or Apex Court (national level) and subordinate courts (state level). Because each court has a different set of judges, the qualifications and powers are different for each court.
How to become a Judge in Supreme Court of India?
The Supreme Court or Supreme Court is the principal court where the judge has wide powers and is appointed by the President of India.
Eligibility to become a judge in the Supreme Court
- The person should be a citizen of India.
- Must have LLB/ LLM degree.
- He has been a Judge of a High Court for at least 5 years or he has been an advocate of a High Court for 10 years.
- Apart from these, a person is also eligible if he is an extraordinary jurist according to the President.
How to become a Judge in High Court in India?
The High Court is the head of the state judicial administration.
Eligibility to become a Judge in the High Court
- A person should be a citizen of India.
- Must have LLB/ LLM degree.
- He should have held a judicial office in India for 10 years or he should have been an advocate of a High Court for 10 years.
How to become a judge in a subordinate court in India?
District level courts are called subordinate courts.
Eligibility to become a judge in a subordinate court
- The person should have LLB / LLM degree.
- He must have passed the examination conducted by the State Public Service Commission.
earn a law degree
To start a career in law as a judge, the primary thing is to acquire a law degree. A graduate degree in law or an LLB degree is a prerequisite for anyone looking to prosper in this field. Many reputed law schools across the world offer LLB course which marks the beginning of your journey to judgeship. To get admission in prestigious law schools in India, you need to clear the CLAT exam. But if you plan to pursue legal studies abroad at top schools such as Harvard, Yale, Oxford or Cambridge, you need to obtain a valid score on the LSAT test. Preparing for LSAT can be a daunting task but scoring well on the test can definitely guarantee you the best education in the legal field.
law course syllabus to become a judge
The law course consists of a number of core and optional subjects covering all the core subjects. Since the actual syllabus may vary according to the university, we have given below all the major subjects under law course:
| year 1 | year 2 | season 3 |
| Labor Law | rule of evidence | civil procedure law |
| Family Law – 1 | Mediation Conciliation and Alternative | interpretation of statutes |
| criminal law | Human Rights and Evidence Law | legal writing |
| Law of Contract – 1 | environmental Law | Land law and other local laws |
| Optional Papers: Trust, Women and the Law Criminology International Economic Law | Property law including Transfer of Property Act | administrative law |
| Family Law – 2 | Jurisprudence | code of criminal procedure |
| Law of Tort and CPAPractical Training – Legal AidCompany Law | Practical Training - Legal Aid | company law |
| constitutional law | Constitutional Law Optional Papers: Comparative Law Law of Insurance Conflict of Laws Intellectual Property Law | Practical Training – Moot Courts |
| professional ethics | Banking Laws and Negotiable Instruments Act 1881 |
foreign university to become a judge
Given below is the list of top universities abroad to become a judge –
- oxford university
- cambridge university
- Johns Hopkins University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Harvard University
- University of California, Berkeley
- Stanford University
- Edinburgh University
- Newcastle University
- King's College London
- Monash University
- carleton university
- ryerson university
- British Columbia University
- coventry university
- Greenwich University
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Michigan
- Middlesex University
- London South Bank University
- Arizona State University
- Yale University
- Imperial College London
- London Metrolopian University
Indian university to become a judge
Given below is the list of some of the top universities to become a judge in India-
- Sri Venkateswara College (University of Delhi)
- Hindu College (University of Delhi)
- Banaras Hindu University
- Allahabad University
- Delhi University
- Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University
- Aligarh Muslim University
- Anna University
- Lucknow University
- Mumbai University
- Pune University
- Loyola College Chennai
- Miranda House (Delhi)
- Madras Christian College
qualification to be a judge
Some of the general qualifications for becoming a judge are mentioned below-
- Students must have a Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognized university.
- Bachelor's degree with minimum 50 per cent marks is required, however the percentage may vary from one college to another.
- Candidates will have to clear an entrance test as well as a personal interview as well as meet the requirements of the institute.
- Some universities abroad require scores from ACT , SAT etc.
- IELTS or TOEFL test scores are required abroad in addition to the above requirements .
- Also, SOP , LOR and CV / Resume and Portfolio are also required for application in foreign universities.
Application Process
The application process by Indian Universities is present below-
- First of all register by visiting the official website of your chosen university.
- After registering in the University website, you will get a user name and password.
- Then after sign in to the website select your chosen course which you want to do.
- Now fill the application form with educational qualification, category etc.
- After that submit the application form and pay the required application fee.
- If the admission is based on the entrance test then first register for the entrance test and then wait for the counseling after the result. You will be selected on the basis of marks in the entrance test and a list will be issued.
Application process for foreign university
To apply the candidate will have to complete the process given below –
- The first step in your application process is to choose the right course, for which you can shortlist the courses of your choice with the help of our AI Course Finder .
- After getting in touch with our experts, they will start your application process across multiple universities through our common dashboard platform.
- The next step is to collect and organize all your documents like SOP , essay, certificates and LOR and required test scores like IELTS , TOEFL , SAT , ACT etc.
- If you have not yet prepared for your IELTS , TOEFL , PTE , GMAT , GRE etc. exams, which is definitely an important factor in studying abroad, you can join our Live classes. These classes can prove to be an important factor in getting you a high score in your test.
- After submitting your application and all required documents, experts will start the application process for accommodation, student visa and scholarship / student loan.
- Now it's time to wait for your offer letter which may take around 4-6 weeks or more. The last step in your application process is to accept the offer letter and pay the required semester fee.
Required Documents
To take admission in a foreign university, it is necessary to have the following documents-
- passport size photo
- passport photocopy
- All official academic transcripts and grade cards
- Essay (if required)
- portfolio (if required)
- Updated CV / Resume
- English Language Proficiency Test Scores
- letter of recommendation or LOR
- statement of purpose
- bank details
judge's salary
The salary of a judge depends on the type and position of the judge. The starting salary for District Level Judge is INR 7,00,000. It goes up with experience and ranges from INR 1.5-2.5 Lakhs INR. The average monthly salary of a Supreme Court Judge and High Court Judge is INR 2.50 Lakh.
FAQ's
The qualification to become a judge is graduation in law degree or LLB as it can be done in two ways:- Integrated Law degree after 12th 5 years and 3 years law degree after graduation.
Yes, you are eligible to become a judge without practicing as an advocate provided you clear the Judicial Services Exam after LLB. You will be appointed as Junior Civil Judge.
The first step towards becoming a judge is to pursue Bachelor in Law, LLB degree course. Now it can be 5 years degree course or 3 years degree course. Once a law aspirant has completed his LLB, it is optional to complete a Masters in Law or LLM.
LLB, whether of three years or five years, is not a very difficult course as compared to other professional courses like B.Tech and MBBS.
We hope that now you know how to become a judge?
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