Internship Update by Akinchan Aggarwal, Advocate — B.A. (Hons.) Gold Medalist, LL.B. (University Rank 2), LL.M. (Dispute Resolution), UGC–NET, Ph.D. (Pursuing)
The Office of Hon'ble Mr. Justice M.M. Sundresh, Judge, Supreme Court of India, is inviting applications for Judicial Internship for the months of October and November 2026.
Applications are accepted only through the prescribed Google Form. There are two separate deadlines, one for each month.
THE PART MOST APPLICANTS MISS
Shortlisting is not the end of the process. Final selection is based on merit and on performance in a typed brief-making exercise. That exercise is the real filter, and almost nobody prepares for it. There is a section on it below.
At a Glance
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Office | Hon'ble Mr. Justice M.M. Sundresh, Judge, Supreme Court of India |
| Position | Judicial Intern |
| Months on offer | October 2026 and November 2026 |
| Deadline — October batch | 10 September 2026 |
| Deadline — November batch | 10 October 2026 |
| Mode of application | Google Form only — no other mode will be considered |
| Selection | Merit, plus performance in a typed brief-making exercise |
| Shortlist intimation | Approximately two weeks before the internship commences |
| If unsuccessful | No communication is sent. Silence means the application was not successful. |
Who Is Eligible
The eligibility is stated by year of study, and it is worth reading precisely because a large number of students who apply are not in fact eligible.
| Course | Eligible year |
|---|---|
| 5-year B.A. LL.B. (or equivalent integrated programme) | Fourth year or final year |
| 3-year LL.B. | Second year (fourth semester) or final year |
Two consequences follow, and both are commonly got wrong:
- A student in the third year of a five-year programme is not eligible, however strong the academic record. The same is true of a first-year student in the three-year programme.
- "Or its equivalent" covers the other integrated five-year degrees — B.B.A. LL.B., B.Com LL.B., B.Sc. LL.B. and similar. What matters is the year of study, not the prefix.
The Brief-Making Exercise — Where Selection Actually Happens
Being shortlisted gets you to the exercise. The exercise gets you the internship. It deserves more attention than it usually receives.
A brief, in this context, is a condensed working note prepared for the Judge on a matter listed before the Court. It is not an essay, it is not an opinion, and it is not a case comment. It typically has to convey, in very little space:
- The facts, stripped to what is necessary to understand the dispute.
- The procedural history — what the courts below held, and what is under challenge.
- The questions that arise for consideration.
- The contentions of each side, fairly stated.
- The provisions and authorities relied upon.
What is actually being tested.
Not how much you know. The exercise tests whether you can read a long record quickly, identify what matters, discard what does not, and set it down in clear, neutral, well-organised prose — accurately, and to time. A judge's office does not need a student who can write at length. It needs one who can compress without distorting. Note also the word "typed": this is done at a keyboard, and speed and accuracy of typing are part of the constraint.
How to prepare in the weeks before
- Practise on real judgments. Take a reported Supreme Court judgment you have not read, and reduce it to a one-page brief in forty-five minutes. Then compare against the headnote and see what you missed.
- Learn to separate facts from findings. The commonest error is to import the High Court's conclusions into the statement of facts. Keep them apart.
- State both sides fairly. A brief that argues for one party is a failed brief. Neutrality is the discipline being assessed.
- Cite precisely. Section numbers, sub-sections, case citations. Get the BNS, BNSS and BSA numbering right where the matter is criminal, and give the old provision alongside where it aids comprehension.
- Write short sentences. Judicial reading is fast reading. Sub-headings and numbered paragraphs help; dense unbroken text does not.
- Type. If your typing is slow, that alone will cost you. Practise the exercise on a keyboard under time, not on paper.
What a Judicial Internship at the Supreme Court Is Worth
An internship in a Judge's office is not the same as an internship with a law firm or a senior advocate, and students frequently do not appreciate the difference until they are in it.
You see the dispute from the bench side. You read the paper-books, the impugned judgment and the written submissions of both sides before the matter is heard, and then you watch it argued. That vantage point teaches something no amount of mooting does: which arguments actually move a court, and which fall away in the first two minutes.
It also teaches the discipline of judicial writing — economy, neutrality of tone, accuracy of citation. Those habits carry directly into practice.
And it matters later. For students who intend to apply for a Law Clerk-cum-Research Associate position at the Supreme Court after graduation, or for judicial service, prior experience in a Judge's chambers is among the most relevant things a CV can show.
Applying — Practical Notes
- Use only the Google Form. The notice is explicit that no other mode of application will be considered. Emails and physical applications will not be looked at.
- Apply for the month you can actually attend. The two deadlines are separate. Do not apply for October if you have university examinations in October — a declined offer helps nobody and the slot is scarce.
- Fill the form carefully. There is no correction window and no acknowledgement to check against. Confirm your year of study, contact number and email address before submitting.
- Watch your inbox and spam folder from roughly two weeks before the month begins.
- Plan for Delhi. If shortlisted you will have around two weeks' notice, which is very little time to arrange travel and accommodation in Delhi. Have a contingency in mind before you apply.
- Expect silence if unsuccessful. The notice states plainly that no communication means the application has not succeeded. Do not wait on a rejection email that will not come, and apply for the next cycle if this one does not work out.
What the Notice Does Not State
Several things applicants will want to know are not addressed in the notice, and it would be wrong to guess at them:
- Whether any stipend is payable.
- Whether accommodation is arranged or assisted.
- The number of interns taken in each batch.
- Working hours and days, and whether attendance is required through the month.
Judicial internships of this kind are ordinarily unpaid and interns make their own arrangements in Delhi, but that is a general observation rather than anything stated here. Do not plan finances on an assumption.
Apply Here
Applications are to be submitted through the Google Form circulated with the notice:
→ Judicial Internship Application Form
One word of caution on links.
Internship notices of this kind are forwarded through student groups many times over, and look-alike forms do circulate. Apply only through the form link as issued by the Office, and satisfy yourself that the link you are using is the one contained in the original circular before entering personal details. Never pay a fee — no legitimate judicial internship charges one.
Key Dates
| Batch | Last date to apply | Shortlist expected |
|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 10 September 2026 | Around mid-September 2026 |
| November 2026 | 10 October 2026 | Around mid-October 2026 |
If you are eligible, apply. Positions in a sitting Judge's office are limited and the application costs nothing but care. And whether or not you are selected, spend an afternoon learning to write a proper brief — it is a skill you will use for the rest of your professional life, and remarkably few law graduates have it.
Disclaimer: This post reproduces and explains an internship notice issued by the Office of Hon'ble Mr. Justice M.M. Sundresh, Judge, Supreme Court of India, for the convenience of students. Eligibility, deadlines, the selection process and the application link are as stated in that notice; stipend, accommodation, intake and working hours were not stated and are not represented here. Details are subject to change by the Office, and applicants must satisfy themselves from the original circular and the application form before applying. This website is not affiliated with the Supreme Court of India or with the Office of any Judge, plays no part in the selection process, and cannot answer queries about applications. Nothing here is legal or career advice. Please read our Disclaimer for more details.
