Court Clerk / Judicial Assistant

Keeping case files and court records in order, typing orders and notices, data entry in the court's computer systems, handling copies and papers for lawyers and the public, and helping the judge's office run smoothly.

A day in the work
You reach the court before the judge sits and pull out the files for the day's cases. You check the cause list, tick off papers and update records on the computer. During the day you type orders, take in applications, give copies to lawyers and answer questions from the public. After the court rises, you tidy files, enter the day's updates and prepare tomorrow's list. It is steady, detail-heavy work, and one wrong file or date can hold up a case.

1. Step 1 · Class 11–12Choose any stream. Work on English reading and writing, and start typing practice on a computer. Check your state's rules early, because some ask for a particular language in Class 10 (Punjab asks for Punjabi, reported).
2. Step 2 · 3 years after Class 12Finish a bachelor's degree, in any stream for most posts. Some states name BA or BSc. Your final result usually has to be declared before the last date to apply (Delhi's 2026 cut-off date was 23 February 2026).
3. Step 3 · When a notice is outWritten exam, computer-based. In Delhi's 2026 exam, Stage I was a Preliminary CBT held on 22 March 2026. Punjab's 2026 clerk exam is a 2-hour CBT with General Knowledge and English composition (reported). There is no fixed yearly calendar. Each court issues its own notice, so check your state High Court website often. (reported — check with the official body)
4. Step 4 · Mains and typing or computer testDelhi's 2026 process has a descriptive Mains paper. After that comes a qualifying English typing test of about 35 words per minute on a computer (reported). Punjab's 2026 clerk process has a qualifying computer test instead, with a spreadsheet test and English typing at 30 words per minute (reported). A candidate who is too slow or makes too many mistakes is out, however well they scored in the written exam. (reported — check with the official body)
5. Step 5 · Interview and document checkDelhi's process ends with an interview (reported), and final merit counts only Mains and interview marks. Punjab's process goes straight to checking original certificates, and its final list is based only on written-exam marks (reported). Keep your degree, Class 10 certificate and any caste, EWS or disability certificates ready and valid. (reported — check with the official body)
6. Step 6 · Joining and probationGovernment posts normally begin with a probation period before you are made permanent. The length is set by each court's service rules, so read it in the notice. Promotions inside the court cadre come later, through the court's own rules. (reported — check with the official body)

• High Court staff exam (for example, Delhi High Court Junior Judicial Assistant/Restorer)The High Court itself recruits. In 2026, Delhi advertised 152 posts at Group B, Pay Level 6 (official notice). It has more stages: Preliminary CBT, Mains, typing test and interview.
• District court clerk exam (for example, Punjab's SSSC)A state-level body recruits for district courts. In October 2026, SSSC advertised 1,270 clerk posts in Punjab's district courts (official notice). Pay is Level 5, ₹29,200 (reported). Postings are in district courts of that state. Other states, such as Odisha, advertise posts like Junior Clerk-cum-Copyist at individual district courts, with different pay and rules.

Fees from: High Court of Delhi: Vacancy Notice, JJA/Restorer 2026 · SSSC: Employment Notice 37C/SSSC/PB/2026 · Dyal Singh College (Univ. of Delhi) Fee Structure 2026-27. Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Pay depends on the court and state, and a High Court post usually sits at a higher level than a district court clerk post. It rises slowly with yearly increments, allowances and promotions, and allowances are higher in big cities.

Both the Delhi (10 posts) and Punjab 2026 notices reserve posts for persons with benchmark disabilities and give them extra age relaxation (10 years in Punjab, official). Punjab's notice also shows separate posts for women within categories. Scribe or extra time can be asked for in written exams, and the court's notice explains the process.

• Class 7–9Practise touch typing for 15 minutes a day this month. Use a free site and track your words per minute each week.Open link ↗
• Class 10–12Open the free eCourts services site with a parent, look up how a case moves from filing to hearing, and write one page in your own words. Ask a family lawyer to show you what a court file looks like. Never share anyone's private case details.Open link ↗
• College or afterOpen your state High Court's recruitment page, read one old notice start to finish, and make a list of its age limit, typing speed, languages and stages. For Delhi, use the Job Openings page.Open link ↗

• A court clerk is not the same as a 'law clerk'. A law clerk is usually a young law graduate who helps a judge with research. A court clerk or judicial assistant is a staff post filled by a recruitment exam, and a law degree is not needed.
• Rules differ a lot by state and court. Age limits in the 2026 notices we saw were 18 to 32 years in Delhi (reported) and 18 to 37 years in Punjab (official), with extra years for reserved categories.
• Vacancies come in waves, not every year. Some states ask for a local language, so check the exact notice for your state.
• Applying costs money. Fees in the 2026 notices were ₹1,300 to ₹1,500 in Delhi and ₹710 to ₹1,200 in Punjab (both reported).