Reader's Digest: Are you a law aspirant gearing up to appear for the CLAT exam? As you take the first step towards your legal career, exciting times await you! But before you dive into preparing for the exam, it's essential to understand the CLAT admissions process. Here are some crucial points to keep in mind:

• CLAT admissions are based on merit, with a rank list being prepared based on your performance in the exam.
• The admission process includes online registration, filling out application forms, and submission of relevant documents.
• After the results are announced, you will have to participate in the counselling process and select the college of your choice.

Sounds simple enough, right? However, you must be aware of many nuances of the CLAT admissions process. So, read on to discover everything you need to know to secure a spot in your dream law school through CLAT Admissions!

Answering Some Common Queries on CLAT Admission Process

Here, we have answered the common doubts about CLAT admissions:

• How many steps are involved in CLAT Admission? The procedure involves five major steps: registration, making NLU choices, Seat Allotment, Fee Payment, and reporting to the designated NLU. 
• How are CLAT seats announced? The CLAT Seats are announced separately for General, SC, ST, OBC, and PwD categories. There are three rounds for seat allotment, and NLU has the right to change the total number of seats or break up seats before the final allotment. 
• How do I know if I'm eligible for CLAT admission? If you score the CLAT Cutoff, you will be eligible for the admission process. 

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CLAT Admission Process 

The counselling and seat allotment process for the LLB and LLM programs is done through the Centralised Online Counseling process. The CLAT Admission Procedure has five steps. The detailed process is as follows:

First Indicative List

The CLAT Rank List will also be published, and the results will be announced online.
The merit list will be released on the official website. The first list of CLAT Counselling will be declared on the merit-cum-preference basis of the scores acquired in the exam. 

Payment of Counseling Fee And Selection of College/University

Those whose names appear in the CLAT Merit List can participate in the Admission process. The process involves fee payment and locking the choice of the institute.

You must pay an amount of INR 50,000 as per the schedule released by the conducting authorities.

After the payment of the admission fee, candidates will have to make one of the following choices:

• ‘Lock’—After paying the CLAT admission fee, candidates must confirm their choice of NLU. After locking the choice, the seat will be frozen for the candidate and will not be used for seat allotment. 
• ‘Upward Shifting’ - As the name suggests, you must use this option to change your allotted institute to a higher choice. If you exercise this option, you will be allotted seats in the upper list of colleges as per the preference filled in the CLAT Application Form.

Second Indicative List

Once the admission fee is paid, CNLU will release the second admission list for the candidates who have secured their seats in the CLAT Participating Colleges. The exam conducting authority will also release the waitlist of selected candidates against those who have dropped out. 

• Candidates appearing on the waitlist will also have to pay the admission fee of INR 50,000. If any applicant wants to withdraw, INR 10,000 will be deducted from the admission amount paid earlier. 

Publication of the Third List of Selected Candidates

The third admission list will be released with the names of waitlisted candidates from the second round. The other batch of waitlisted candidates will be named in a separate list.

Those on the waitlist must complete the choice-filling process and pay the admission fee in the second round.

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Admission Formalities at Allotted College/University

The final step in the CLAT Admission Process is to visit the allotted participating college and complete the admission formalities. The selected candidates through the CLAT Exam must pay the balance towards the admission fee. Documents required for CLAT admission are as follows:

• CLAT Application Form
• CLAT Admit Card 
• CLAT Score Card
• Class 10th Marks-sheet (Date of Birth proof)
• Class 12th Marks-sheet (Academic Qualification/ Eligibility Criteria)
• Caste Certificate (If applicable)
• Specially-Abled Certificate (If applicable)
• NRI Certificate (If applicable)
• Sponsored NRI Certificate (If applicable)
• Domicile Certificate (If applicable) 
• Call Letter issued by CLAT authority
• Current passport-size photographs

If the candidate fails to claim CLAT admission, the entire amount of INR 50,000 will be forfeited. 

CLAT Counselling 

After the results are available, CLAT Counselling will begin. The counselling shortlists candidates for the CLAT admission process. Candidates qualifying for the CLAT Exam above the cut-off will be shortlisted for the counselling procedure. The Counselling Process is conducted in five steps, as listed below:

• Step 1: Publication of 1st Symptomatic List
• Step 2: Counselling Fees Payment, Lock Upgrade & Withdrawal of Seats
• Step 3: Publication of the 2nd list having the names of finalized candidates after payment of counselling fees.
• Step 4: Publication of 3rd list allotting seats to candidates
• Step 5: Completion of CLAT Admission Process 

For the counselling process, you are shortlisted based on the CLAT Seat Allotment released after the results. A total of 5 seat allotment lists are released that include the names shortlisted for counselling.

CLAT Seat Distribution 2025 (UG & PG)

Refer to the table below for the college-wise seat distribution for both LLB and LLM courses:

Name of the CLAT Participating Colleges (2025)	UG Seat Intake	PG Seat Intake
National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru	300	120
National Academy of Legal Study & Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad	132	66
National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal	BA LLB 134 BSc LLB 68	60
The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata	BA LLB 108 BSc LLB 50	100
National Law University (NLUJ), Jodhpur	120	50
Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur	170	90
Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Gandhinagar	172	57
Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU), Lucknow	169	48
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Patiala	180	60
National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), Kochi	60	60
National Law University Odisha (NLUO), Cuttack	BA LLB 120 BBA LLB 60	44
National University of Study & Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi	134	60
National Law University & Judicial Academy (NLUJA), Assam	60	60
Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU), Visakhapatnam	120	60
The Tamil Nadu National Law University (TNNLU), Tiruchirapalli	BA LLB 60 BCom LLB 60	60
Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Mumbai	100	50
Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Nagpur	BA LLB 120 BBA LLB 60	60
Maharashtra National Law University, (MNLU)  Aurangabad	BA LLB 60 BBA LLB 60	60
Himachal Pradesh National Law University, (HPNLU), Shimla	BA LLB 60 BBA LLB 60	80
Dharmashastra National Law University (DNLU), Jabalpur	120	50
Dr B R Ambedkar National Law University (DBRANLU), Sonipat, Haryana	120	-
National Law University Tripura (NLUT), Agartala	60	50
Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Silvasa	66	33
Total (not including supernumerary, NRI, extra, and FN seats)	3163	1378

Note - The table only includes the seats for UG and PG programs and does not account for supernumerary, NRI, extra, and FN seats.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the CLAT admission process can be overwhelming, but with the right guidance and preparation, you can crack it. Keep yourself updated with the latest news and trends in the legal world, and stay focused on your goals.