Can You Prepare for RJS While Practising as an Advocate?

Yes. In fact, for many candidates, combining practice with preparation can be an effective approach.

The key is to recognise that RJS preparation and legal practice require different kinds of work.

The trick is to make the two activities complement rather than compete with each other.

Why Court Practice Can Actually Help in RJS Preparation

An advocate who actively appears in court encounters many aspects of law that are difficult to understand fully through books alone.

For example, studying the Code of Civil Procedure becomes more meaningful when an advocate has actually seen a plaint, written statement, interim application or execution proceeding. Similarly, criminal procedure becomes easier to understand when the candidate has observed bail hearings, remand proceedings, charges and evidence.

Court practice can therefore provide a practical context for subjects that appear in the RJS syllabus.

The Biggest Problem: Lack of Time

The biggest challenge for a practising advocate is usually not a lack of legal knowledge. It is lack of consistent study time.

Court timings can be unpredictable. A matter listed at 11 a.m. may continue well into the afternoon. A client may arrive unexpectedly. Drafting work may have to be completed urgently. On some days, an advocate may return home exhausted after spending several hours in court.

This is why an RJS aspirant who is practising at the Bar needs a realistic study schedule rather than an idealised timetable promising eight or ten hours of study every day.

How Many Hours Should a Working Advocate Study?

There is no universal number of hours that guarantees success. What matters more is consistency and quality of study.

A practising advocate may find it more realistic to divide preparation into smaller blocks rather than attempting one uninterrupted study session.

The exact schedule will depend on the advocate’s court workload. The important point is to create non-negotiable daily study blocks and protect them as far as possible.

A Practical Daily RJS Schedule for Advocates

A working advocate does not necessarily need to follow the same timetable as a full-time student. A more practical model is to divide the day into short, focused sessions.

How to Divide RJS Preparation Between Prelims and Mains

A practising advocate should avoid preparing for Prelims and Mains as completely separate examinations.

The same legal provision can be studied at different levels:

• First: Understand the legal concept.
• Second: Read the Bare Act.
• Third: Solve objective questions.
• Fourth: Study important judgments and applications.
• Fifth: Practise writing an analytical answer.

This integrated method prevents duplication of effort and allows a candidate to develop both factual recall and deeper legal understanding.

What Should Working Advocates Study First?

The order in which subjects are studied can make a major difference when preparation time is limited.

A practical starting point is to prioritise the major core-law subjects and gradually incorporate the smaller and Rajasthan-specific statutes.

Do Not Let Court Practice Replace Exam Preparation

There is an important trap for practising advocates: assuming that because they work with law every day, they are automatically preparing for RJS.

They are not.

Court practice provides valuable practical experience, but an examination requires targeted preparation. An advocate may handle civil litigation regularly but still be unfamiliar with an obscure statutory provision that appears in an objective question.

Similarly, appearing in court does not automatically develop the ability to write a structured RJS Mains answer within the prescribed time.

Therefore, practice and examination preparation must remain separate but complementary activities.

Can You Prepare for RJS While Practising as an Advocate?

Yes. In fact, for many candidates, combining practice with preparation can be an effective approach.

The key is to recognise that RJS preparation and legal practice require different kinds of work.

The trick is to make the two activities complement rather than compete with each other.

Why Court Practice Can Actually Help in RJS Preparation

An advocate who actively appears in court encounters many aspects of law that are difficult to understand fully through books alone.

For example, studying the Code of Civil Procedure becomes more meaningful when an advocate has actually seen a plaint, written statement, interim application or execution proceeding. Similarly, criminal procedure becomes easier to understand when the candidate has observed bail hearings, remand proceedings, charges and evidence.

Court practice can therefore provide a practical context for subjects that appear in the RJS syllabus.

The Biggest Problem: Lack of Time

The biggest challenge for a practising advocate is usually not a lack of legal knowledge. It is lack of consistent study time.

Court timings can be unpredictable. A matter listed at 11 a.m. may continue well into the afternoon. A client may arrive unexpectedly. Drafting work may have to be completed urgently. On some days, an advocate may return home exhausted after spending several hours in court.

This is why an RJS aspirant who is practising at the Bar needs a realistic study schedule rather than an idealised timetable promising eight or ten hours of study every day.

How Many Hours Should a Working Advocate Study?

There is no universal number of hours that guarantees success. What matters more is consistency and quality of study.

A practising advocate may find it more realistic to divide preparation into smaller blocks rather than attempting one uninterrupted study session.

The exact schedule will depend on the advocate’s court workload. The important point is to create non-negotiable daily study blocks and protect them as far as possible.

A Practical Daily RJS Schedule for Advocates

A working advocate does not necessarily need to follow the same timetable as a full-time student. A more practical model is to divide the day into short, focused sessions.

How to Divide RJS Preparation Between Prelims and Mains

A practising advocate should avoid preparing for Prelims and Mains as completely separate examinations.

The same legal provision can be studied at different levels:

• First: Understand the legal concept.
• Second: Read the Bare Act.
• Third: Solve objective questions.
• Fourth: Study important judgments and applications.
• Fifth: Practise writing an analytical answer.

This integrated method prevents duplication of effort and allows a candidate to develop both factual recall and deeper legal understanding.

What Should Working Advocates Study First?

The order in which subjects are studied can make a major difference when preparation time is limited.

A practical starting point is to prioritise the major core-law subjects and gradually incorporate the smaller and Rajasthan-specific statutes.

Do Not Let Court Practice Replace Exam Preparation

There is an important trap for practising advocates: assuming that because they work with law every day, they are automatically preparing for RJS.

They are not.

Court practice provides valuable practical experience, but an examination requires targeted preparation. An advocate may handle civil litigation regularly but still be unfamiliar with an obscure statutory provision that appears in an objective question.

Similarly, appearing in court does not automatically develop the ability to write a structured RJS Mains answer within the prescribed time.

Therefore, practice and examination preparation must remain separate but complementary activities.

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