AIBE Rules Change: Relief for Final Year Law Students

The Supreme Court has approved new rules by the Bar Council of India allowing final year law students to take the All India Bar Exam (AIBE) twice yearly, thus preventing loss of professional career time for these students. The AIBE is crucial for law graduates to become practicing lawyers.

The Bar Council of India has introduced rules permitting final year law students to take the All India Bar Exam (AIBE), as reported to the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The initiative, aimed at facilitating law graduates' transition to lawyers, involves conducting the critical examination twice annually.

The announcement emerged during the Supreme Court's hearing of a 2024 writ petition calling for final semester students' participation in the AIBE. Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta acknowledged the Bar Council's submission, subsequently resolving the petition.

The 2023 court directives had already mandated the framing of suitable rules, underscoring the importance of the AIBE in allowing law graduates to navigate the legal profession without losing precious career development time. Legal representatives, including advocates A Velan and Navpreet Kaur, successfully lobbied for the temporary inclusion of students in the examination as per interim orders.

(With inputs from agencies.)