Supreme Court Judicial Clerkship Salary: In-hand pay, Delhi expenses, savings potential & comparison with law firm packages explained. This article is written by Urvi Shah, Senior Associate at LawSikho.

₹80,000 a month. That’s it. That’s the salary of a Supreme Court Law clerk.

Sounds underwhelming, right? Your friends at Tier-1 firms are making double that. Triple, even.

But here’s what nobody tells you: while they’re drowning in 14-hour workdays and client tantrums, you could be walking out of your clerkship year with genuine savings of approximately ₹3-5 lakhs over the year, and career advantages that take others a decade to build.

That “modest” ₹80,000? It’s actually one of the smartest financial moves a fresh law graduate can make.

So, let’s break down what a Supreme Court law Clerk’s salary actually means, the real take home after taxes, what Delhi costs, how much you’ll save, and why this investment often beats those corporate packages in the long run.

Monthly Remuneration Structure for Supreme Court Law Clerks

Initial Term Remuneration of ₹80,000

The current scheme approved by Chief Justice Dr. DY Chandrachud provides a consolidated monthly remuneration of ₹80,000 for your initial 12-month assignment term. This represents your total monthly compensation, inclusive of all components, with no separate allowances for housing, travel, or medical expenses. The fixed structure means your income remains predictable throughout your tenure, making financial planning straightforward.

This ₹80,000 figure applies uniformly to all law clerks during their first year, whether you’re working in a Justice’s chambers or assigned to the Registry. The 2023 revision marked a significant 60% increase from the previous ₹50,000 level, bringing compensation to genuinely competitive territory for entry-level legal positions.

Extended Term Increase to ₹90,000 Per Month

If your performance satisfies your assigned Judge and you receive an extension beyond the initial 12-month period, your monthly remuneration increases to ₹90,000. This ₹10,000 raise recognizes your gained experience and continued contribution to judicial work. Extensions are granted at the Judge’s discretion based on your research quality, drafting capabilities, and overall professional conduct.

What Does “Consolidated Remuneration” Actually Mean for a Supreme Court Law Clerk? 

When you see “consolidated remuneration” in the Supreme Court scheme, understand that your ₹80,000 monthly payment is all-inclusive. You won’t receive separate allowances for house rent, dearness adjustments, transport, medical expenses, or any other perquisites that regular government employees typically get. The official notification explicitly states “there will be no other allowances/perquisites.”

This differs significantly from permanent judicial positions or government jobs under pay commission structures that include multiple allowance components. The consolidated nature simplifies your salary but also means you need to manage all living expenses, accommodation, commuting, and healthcare from this single monthly amount.

Cost of Living in Delhi for Supreme Court Law Clerks

Accommodation Options and Costs

Accommodation will be your largest expense as a law clerk in Delhi. Renting near the Supreme Court in localities like Tilak Marg, Barakhamba Road, or Connaught Place areas typically costs ₹25,000 to ₹60,000 monthly for a single room. However, if you’re willing to share accommodation with fellow clerks or opt for slightly distant areas like Preet Vihar, Laxmi Nagar, or Mayur Vihar, rents typically range from ₹12,000 to ₹20,000.

Many clerks choose shared accommodation to maximize savings while maintaining reasonable commute times. The Delhi Metro makes even distant localities viable, and connecting with fellow clerks before your term begins can help you arrange cost-effective living arrangements.

Monthly Expense Breakdown 

Expense Category	Budget Range
Accommodation (shared)	₹12,000 – ₹20,000
Food and meals	₹8,000 – ₹12,000
Metro/Transport	₹2,000 – ₹3,000
Utilities and miscellaneous	₹2,000 – ₹3,000
Total Monthly Expenses	₹24,000 – ₹38,000approximately

Realistic Savings Potential

If you manage accommodation at approximately ₹20,000 through sharing and keep food and transport costs around ₹15,000, you can reasonably save ₹40,000-45,000 monthly from your ₹77,750 post-tax income. Even with higher accommodation costs of approximately ₹20,000, you should still save ₹30,000-35,000 monthly.

Over your 12-month clerkship tenure, this translates to savings between ₹3.6-5.4 lakhs, a significant amount that can fund your LLM applications abroad, support judicial services exam preparation, or provide a substantial financial cushion for your next career move.

In-Hand Salary After Tax Deductions

Income Tax Implications on ₹9.6 Lakh Annual Income

Your ₹80,000 monthly remuneration translates to ₹9.6 lakhs annual income, which falls within taxable brackets under current Income Tax slabs. For income between ₹7 lakhs and ₹10 lakhs, you’ll pay 10% tax on the amount exceeding ₹7 lakhs, plus applicable cess. This means approximately ₹27,000 annual tax liability on your ₹9.6 lakh income, though the exact amount depends on deductions you claim under Sections 80C, 80D, and others.

Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) procedures may vary since you’re on a contractual assignment rather than regular employment. The Supreme Court Registry handles your monthly payments, and depending on their accounting procedures, they may deduct TDS or you may need to pay advance tax quarterly. Consulting a chartered accountant familiar with contractual legal positions helps you understand specific compliance requirements.

After accounting for income tax liability of approximately ₹2,250 per month, your practical take-home from the ₹80,000 monthly remuneration would be around ₹77,750. Your actual in-hand amount might vary slightly based on TDS timing and deductions claimed when filing your annual return.

No PF or ESI Deductions

Unlike regular government employees or private sector workers, your law clerk compensation doesn’t include Provident Fund (PF) or Employee State Insurance (ESI) deductions. This means your gross ₹80,000 isn’t reduced by the typical 12% PF employee contribution that salaried employees experience. While this increases your immediate take-home, it also means you’re not building a retirement corpus or social security benefits through your clerkship tenure.

Salary Comparison of Supreme Court  Judicial Clerkship with Alternative Career Paths

Supreme Court Law Clerk vs Tier 1 Law Firm Associate

Top-tier law firms offer starting packages of ₹12-20 lakhs annually (approximately ₹1.1-1.6 lakhs monthly) to fresh law graduates from premier National Law Universities. This appears higher than your ₹80,000 monthly law clerk stipend when viewed purely as numbers. 

However, law firm associates typically work 12-14-hour days regularly with significant weekend work, while your clerkship provides more structured hours and exposure to judicial decision-making rather than client service pressure.

The comparison becomes more nuanced when you consider post-clerkship advantages. Your Supreme Court certificate, judicial research skills, and Justice recommendations open doors to specialized litigation practices, foreign LLM programs with scholarships, and judicial services positions. Many former clerks who later join law firms enter at elevated positions with higher compensation than peers who started directly after graduation.

Supreme Court Law Clerk vs Junior Lawyer Remuneration

If you choose to start litigation practice immediately by joining a senior counsel’s chamber, you’ll typically receive remuneration between ₹15,000 – ₹40,000 monthly, approximately as a junior. Most juniors with practicing senior counsels at the Supreme Court earn roughly ₹15,000-25,000 monthly. Compared to this, your ₹80,000 law clerk stipend is 3-4 times higher and provides guaranteed income regardless of your seniors’ case flow.

Additionally, as a law clerk, you gain systematic exposure to case preparation, legal research, and judgment writing under judicial guidance—a more structured learning experience than the apprenticeship model, where learning opportunities vary based on your senior counsel’s practice style.

Tax-Saving Strategies During Your Clerkship

Maximizing Section 80C Deductions

Even on contractual remuneration, you can reduce your tax liability through smart investments. Under Section 80C, you can claim deductions up to ₹1.5 lakhs annually by investing in ELSS mutual funds, PPF, or life insurance premiums. Since you’re not contributing to PF automatically, voluntarily investing in PPF gives you both tax savings and helps build a retirement corpus.

Consider setting aside ₹12,500 -₹12,500 monthly (₹1.5 lakhs annually) in tax-saving instruments. This could reduce your taxable income from ₹9.6 lakhs to ₹8.1 lakhs, potentially saving you approximately ₹15,000 in annual taxes. For a fresh graduate, developing this investment discipline early creates habits that benefit you throughout your career.

Health Insurance Under Section 80D

Purchasing a health insurance policy provides dual benefits during your clerkship. First, you’re not covered under any employer health scheme, making personal coverage essential in a city where quality healthcare is expensive. Second, premiums up to ₹25,000 qualify for additional deduction under Section 80D, further reducing your tax liability.

A comprehensive health policy costing ₹8,000-18,000 annually gives you adequate coverage while providing tax benefits. Combined with Section 80C investments, you can potentially reduce your effective tax outgo to near-zero while building financial security.

You can significantly reduce your tax liability, but only if you opt for the Old Tax Regime. In the New Tax Regime (default regime), almost all deductions are not allowed, so the strategies above will not work.

Supreme Court Judicial Clerkship: Making the Most of Non-Monetary Benefits

Professional Credentials and Network Value

The certificate you receive upon completing your Supreme Court law clerkship carries immense professional weight throughout your legal career. Law firms often give former Supreme Court clerks lateral entry at second or third-year associate levels despite being fresh graduates, recognizing the advanced legal research and drafting skills developed during clerkship.

Working directly with a Supreme Court Judge gives you professional relationships that would otherwise take decades of practice to develop. Your Judge’s recommendation letter carries extraordinary weight for LLM applications, law firm positions, or public interest litigation fellowships. This networking advantage is difficult to quantify but often proves more valuable than the immediate salary difference with law firm positions. It also helps those who aspire to become an AOR. 

Conclusion

Your ₹80,000 monthly stipend translates to comfortable Delhi living with realistic savings of approximately ₹3.6-5.4 lakhs over your 12-month tenure, depending on your lifestyle choices. 

When you factor in the professional certificate, judicial training, Supreme Court networking, and career pathway advantages, the total value proposition extends far beyond monthly income numbers.

Whether you’re planning litigation practice, judicial services, foreign LLM, or legal academia, this one-year investment positions you advantageously compared to peers who chose immediate higher-paying corporate roles.

Your clerkship experience and Judge’s recommendation continue yielding professional dividends throughout your legal career, making clerkship one of the smartest financial decisions a fresh law graduate can make.

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