CLAT 2012 Notification, Eligibility & Forms

C ommon  L aw  A dmission  T est  ( CLAT )  2012  Exam notification had been published three days back by National Law University, Jodhpur ...

Common Law Admission Test  (CLAT) 2012 Exam notification had been published three days back by National Law University, Jodhpur - the organising university for CLAT 2012. Application form-cum-information brochure are now available in all fourteen CLAT universities as well as in designated SBI branches. Last date of submission of CLAT 2012 forms 31st March 2012 (Saturday) and the written exam would be conducted on 13th May 2012 (Sunday).

This blog article dwells at length on the salient points of this all important law entrance exam for students appearing for CLAT 2012 and at the same time archive the info for students appearing in future exams like CLAT 2013/ CLAT 2014 to help them apply for the exam. Another follow-up blog post titled: CLAT Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Papers & Books tells you how to prepare for CLAT exam.

But first let us know what CLAT is.

What is Common Law Admission Test (CLAT)?

CLAT is an all-India law entrance exam, conducted for admissions into LL.B & LL.M program of prestigious National Law Universities of India. This very important law exam was conducted for the first time on 11th May 2008 and has since been conducted every year on the 2nd/3rd Sunday of May. While only seven law institutes took part in the first CLAT exam, number of law institutes participating in CLAT has been increasing every year. In CLAT 2012, fourteen law institutes are participating.

You can find more about CLAT from this official website.

List of law universities participating in CLAT 2012:

Can you get admissions to all law schools in India through CLAT? If not, which are the law schools in which you can get admissions through it?

These are following institutes which are participating in CLAT 2012:

1.0 National Law School of India University, Bangalore (NLSIU).

2.0 NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad (NALSAR).

3.0 National Law Institute University, Bhopal (NLIU).

4.0 The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata (WBNUJS).

5.0 National Law University, Jodhpur (NLU).

6.0 Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur (HNLU).

7.0 Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar (GNLU).

8.0 Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow (RMLNLU).

9.0 Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala (RGNUL).

10.0 Chanakya National Law University, Patna (CNLU).

11.0 National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi (NUALS).
12.0 National Law University, Orissa (NLUO)

13.0 National University of Study & Research in Law, Ranchi (NUSRL)
14.0 National Law University & Judicial Academy, Assam (NLUJA)
Last three of above law universities have joined the CLAT only from this year.

Ranking of Indian Law colleges:

You can find the list of twenty “Best Indian Law College” ranking by India Today in 2011 in the table at right. As you can see, there are 8 CLAT law universities which are ranked among the 20 best law institutes in India.
Most other remaining CLAT universities does not figure among the top 20 because they have been established only very recently. So if you are serious about taking up law as a profession, you should appear in CLAT exam.

What are the eligibilities for CLAT?

As said before, CLAT exam is held for two levels LL.B & LL.M. Eligibilities for them are given below.

Eligibilities for CLAT LL.B:

Age: (as on 1st July of year of exam – e.g. 01.07.2012 for CLAT 2012)

Maximum 20 yrs for General/OBC & 22 yrs for SC/ST/Disabled.

Academic qualification:

Minimum 50% in Class-XII final exam (45% for SC/ST/OBC/Disabled). Final year students can also apply but he/she should posses the above qualification during his/her admission.

Eligibilities for CLAT LL.M:

Age: No age bar.

Academic qualification:

Minimum 55% in LL.B/B.L. Degree or an equivalent degree from a recognized University (50% for SC/ST/OBC/Disabled). Final year students can also apply but he/she should posses the above qualification during his/her admission.

Selection process for CLAT LL.B/LL.M program:

Selections to above prestigious law colleges through CLAT is purely based on the CLAT written exam - overall merit, preference-wise, gender-wise, state-wise and reservation-wise.

You can find more about CLAT exam pattern in my blog article titled: CLAT Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Papers & Books.

CLAT 2012 Exam Fee:

Exam fee for CLAT-2012 is Rs.3000/- only (Rs.2500/- in case of SC/ST/PWD on submission of proof) which is inclusive of Application Form fee as well as test fee.

CLAT 2012 Forms/How to apply for CLAT exam:

There are three way in which you can apply for CLAT 2012:
1.0 Through CLAT 2012 Offline Form.
2.0 Through Downloaded CLAT 2012  Application Form.
3.0 Through CLAT 2012 Online Form.
How to apply for CLAT is given in page-7 of the Notification-cum-Information Brochure

CLAT 2012 Offline Form:
CLAT 2012 application form-cum-information brochure is available from 2nd January, 2012 in two places:

1.0 Designated SBI branches.
2.0 In the fourteen National Law Universities.

While you can procure the CLAT forms by paying the CLAT 20112 fee  in cash from above two sources, you can also obtain the CLAT forms by post from the organising university, NLU, Jodhpur by sending the the CLAT 20112 fee in the form of a DD/Pay in favour of "National Law University, Jodhpur CLAT A/C" and payable at "Jodhpur" (Rajasthan) along with a request letter to following address:

The Convener, CLAT-2012, 
National Law University, Jodhpur, NH-65, Nagour Road, Mandore, Jodhpur -342 304 (Rajasthan)).

After filling-in the CLAT form, you have to submit the same (along with necessary documents as mentioned in the information brochure) either in person or through registered post to above address so as to reach before the last date of application – 31 March 2012.

Download CLAT 2012  Application Form.
You can also download the CLAT forms, fill the same and send it with the enclosures as given for Offline forms above.

CLAT 2012 Online Form:

Before going to apply online for CLAT 2012, you should have the DD (i.e. Rs.3000/- or Rs..2500/- as the case may be in favour of "National Law University, Jodhpur CLAT A/C" and payable at "Jodhpur" (Rajasthan))  ready as you have to enter the DD details in the CLAT Online Form.

How to apply online for CLAT is given clearly in this web page. On this page bottom click on LINK "Application form for PG Courses" for the PG form or "Application form for UG Courses" for the UG form.

Important dates for CLAT 2012:

Date of CLAT 2012 notification & form availibility: 2nd January, 2012.

Last Date for submission of CLAT 2012 forms – 31st March 2012.

Date of issue of CLAT 2012 Hall Tickets: Up to 14th April 2012.

Date of CLAT 2012 written exam:13th May 2012 (Sunday) (3.00 P.M. – 5.00 P.M)

Date of CLAT 2012 result – 28th May 2012 (Monday) 

Date of completion of admission process – 30th June 2012 (Saturday)

Date of commencement of classes – 2nd July 2012 (Monday).

CLAT 2013 Exam date notification:

Some of you may be wanting to appear in CLAT exam at a later date – say in CLAT 2013 or CLAT 2014and hence would like to know when these exams would be held so that you can start preparing accordingly.

Therefore based on the exam-date trend analysis of last five CLAT exams, following dates for CLAT 2013  is forecasted:

Date of notification for CLAT 2013: 1st week of January, 2013.

Last date for CLAT 2013 submission of forms: 2nd April, 2013

Date of CLAT 2013 exam: Either 12/05/2013 or 19/05/2013 (2nd/3rd Sunday of May).

How this exam date is forecasted can be found from following date trend analysis:

With above exam date trend, you can also find that date of CLAT 2014 exam should be either 11/05/2014 or 18/05/2014.

But nearer time (in 1st week of January of year 2013 & 2014), check this official CLAT website for the exact dates.

Hope with above you can apply confidently for CLAT 2012 exam. But how do you prepare for it? Check my blog post titled CLAT Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Papers & Books. Keep visiting this blog as I am going to update any information which I come across for CLAT exam. Best wishes!

---