Law Officer Syllabus 2026 – Exam Pattern, Subjects & Download PDF

Overview: If you’re wondering why some candidates crack multiple legal recruitments in the same year, here’s the interesting part: nearly 70–80% of the law officer syllabus overlaps across IBPS, RBI, SEBI, NABARD and PSUs. This unified guide consolidates that overlap so you can prepare once and apply everywhere.

You’ll find a clear, subject-wise breakdown of the law officer syllabus, mapped across IBPS SO (2026 focus), RBI Legal Officer, SEBI Legal, NABARD Legal, and PSU/state law officer posts.

Use this as a single source of truth to prioritise core laws (Constitution, Contract, IPC/CrPC/Evidence), sectoral laws (Banking/Financial/Company), and auxiliary areas (Labour, Tax, IP, Environment, Cyber).

And guess what? Each section tells you exactly what to study and how to practise so your preparation stays exam-ready throughout the 2026 cycle. Let’s dive deeper.

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Why a Standardised Law Officer Syllabus Matters

• Benefits for candidates (efficiency, overlap leverage)
• Study once, reuse across exams: Constitutional Law, Contract, Evidence, CPC/CrPC, and Banking laws appear repeatedly in the law officer syllabus.
• Faster revision cycles: consolidated notes cut duplication by 30–40%, reportedly.
• Smarter practice: one MCQ set on Negotiable Instruments or SARFAESI helps for IBPS, PSU banks and even RBI/NABARD touchpoints.
• Benefits for coaching & institutions
• Cohesive batch planning and mock alignment across multiple legal exams.
• Consistent pedagogy for high-yield laws (e.g., Company Law for SEBI/RBI; Banking Regulation Act for IBPS/NABARD).
• Who should use this consolidated syllabus and when
• Final-year LL.B. students planning 2026 recruitments.
• Working professionals need a focused 30, 60, and 90-day plan.
• Repeat aspirants consolidating weak areas across the law officer syllabus.

“The day I mapped overlaps across IBPS and SEBI, my study time dropped by 25%, and my mock accuracy jumped from 58% to 72% in four weeks.” — reportedly shared by a TopRankers law grad selected in a PSU legal panel.

Core/Overlapping Subjects Across Major Law Officer Exams 2026

Quick action: 3 subjects to start with in month 1

Use this table to spot common ground across the law officer syllabus. Prioritise “High overlap” subjects first, then layer sector-specific statutes.

Subject	One-line Scope	Common Statutes/Focus	Overlap Priority
Constitutional Law	Structure, rights, federalism	Constitution of India (Parts III, IV, V, VI)	High
Administrative Law	Delegated legislation, review, and natural justice	Principles + case-law	High
Civil Law	Procedure, remedies, limitation	CPC, Specific Relief Act, Limitation Act	High
Criminal Law	Offences and procedure	IPC, CrPC	High
Evidence & Procedure	Relevancy, admissibility, presumptions	Indian Evidence Act	High
Contract & Commercial Law	Formation, breach, remedies	Contract Act, Sale of Goods Act	High
Negotiable Instruments	Cheques, promissory notes, dishonour	Negotiable Instruments Act	High
Company Law	Incorporation, management, governance	Companies Act, 2013	Medium–High
Banking & Financial Laws	Regulation, compliance, recovery	RBI Act, Banking Regulation Act, SARFAESI, IBC	High (IBPS/RBI)
Drafting & Interpretation	Opinions, pleadings, notices	Practical drafting + Interpretation of Statutes	High
Labour, Tax, IP, Environment	Sector-specific essentials	ID Act, EPF, ESI, GST basics, IP Acts, Environment Act	Medium
Cyber Law	Offences, data protection basics	IT Act, PDP framework (as notified)	Medium

Quick action for Month 1:

• Start with the Contract Act, Evidence Act, and Constitutional Law.
• Parallel practice: 20 MCQs/day on IPC/CrPC + 2 short drafts/week.
• One weekend: Banking Regulation Act overview for IBPS SO Law Officer Syllabus 2026 alignment.

Subject Deep Dive — Constitutional Law & Administrative Law

Constitutional Law: key chapters/topics

1. Preamble, Citizenship, Fundamental Rights (Arts. 12–35), DPSPs (Arts. 36–51), Fundamental Duties.
2. Union and State executive/legislature (Arts. 52–151), Judiciary (SC/HC powers), Writs (Art. 32/226).
3. Federalism, Emergency provisions, Elections, Finance Commission, CAG.
4. Landmark doctrines: Basic Structure, Colourable Legislation, Pith and Substance.

Administrative Law: principles and judicial review

1. Rule of law, separation of powers, natural justice (audi alteram partem, nemo judex).
2. Delegated legislation: controls, excessive delegation.
3. Judicial review standards: Wednesbury unreasonableness, proportionality.
4. Ombudsman/Lokpal, RTI interfaces, legitimate expectation.

Suggested statutes, landmark cases, and study order

1. Start: Fundamental Rights → Writs → Basic Structure → Administrative principles.
2. Cases to know: Kesavananda Bharati, Maneka Gandhi, I.R. Coelho; for admin law: A.K. Kraipak, Barium Chemicals, Tata Cellular.

Now comes the crucial part: practise 10–15 problem-based MCQs on writs and a 200-word note explaining proportionality with one case reference.

Topic	Download Notes
SARFAESI Act 2002 Notes	Download PDF
Responsibilities of Banking Ombudsman Notes	Download PDF
Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 Notes	Download PDF

Subject Deep Dive — Civil Law & Criminal Law

Civil Law: core Acts and topics

1. CPC: jurisdiction, pleadings, res judicata, injunctions, appeals, execution.
2. Specific Relief Act: specific performance, injunctions, and declaratory relief.
3. Limitation Act: key periods, condonation, continuing cause.
4. Family law basics as applicable: marriage, divorce, maintenance (varies by exam).

Criminal Law: essentials and procedure

1. IPC: general exceptions, offences against body/property, mens rea.
2. CrPC: arrest, bail, cognisability, charge, trial stages, compounding.
3. Practical intersections: FIR, statements, confessions, maintenance u/s 125 CrPC.

How they’re asked

• Objective: definition/section match, principle-fact MCQs.
• Descriptive: short notes on res judicata, anticipatory bail; draft sample plaint/complaint outlines.
• Tip: build a 1-page CPC flowchart and a CrPC custody/bail decision tree.

Subject Deep Dive — Commercial, Contract, Negotiable Instruments & Company Law

Contract Act (high yield across the law officer syllabus)

1. Essentials: offer, acceptance, consideration, capacity, free consent.
2. Contingent and quasi-contracts, indemnity/guarantee, agency.
3. Breach and remedies: damages, specific performance (link with Specific Relief).

Negotiable Instruments Act

1. Promissory notes, bills of exchange, cheques; holder in due course.
2. Endorsement, negotiation, presentment, dishonour and notice.
3. Section 138 cheque dishonour: ingredients, presumptions, defences.

Company Law

1. Incorporation, MoA/AoA, lifting the corporate veil.
2. Management: Board, committees, related party transactions.
3. Share capital, meetings, corporate governance, penalties/compounding.

Prioritise Contract and Negotiable Instruments early for IBPS SO Law Officer Preparation. For RBI/SEBI, add governance, disclosure and enforcement angles from the Companies Act, 2013.

Subject Deep Dive — Banking & Financial Sector Laws (RBI/NABARD/IBPS Focus)

How to prepare statutory provisions and circular-based questions

Statute/Framework	Why it Matters for Law Officers	Typical Question Angle
RBI Act, 1934	RBI’s powers, monetary policy, regulation and supervision	Define RBI’s regulatory role; powers under key sections.
Banking Regulation Act, 1949	Licensing, management, and control over banks	Branch licensing, management removal, moratoriums.
SARFAESI Act, 2002	Security interest enforcement, asset reconstruction	Conditions for 13(2) notice; borrower/secured creditor rights.
Securitisation/Recovery Rules	Procedures for possession, sale, and valuation	Validity of possession notice, sale protocols.
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016	Corporate/individual insolvency, resolution	CIRP timelines, CoC powers, moratorium scope.
PMLA/SEBI Act/NABARD Act	AML compliance; securities regulation; development finance	KYC/AML obligations; SEBI enforcement; NABARD functions.

How to prepare: Quick Tip

maintain a “provisions + workflow” sheet for each Act; practise 2 circular-based short answers/week; track RBI/SEBI/NABARD press releases that often turn into principle-based MCQs in the law officer syllabus.

Subject Deep Dive — Evidence, Civil & Criminal Procedure, Legal Drafting and Interpretation

Evidence Act: relevancy and admissibility

1. Relevance of facts, admissions/confessions, dying declarations.
2. Burden and presumptions; primary/secondary evidence.
3. Expert evidence, electronic records, privilege.

Civil & Criminal Procedure: litigation touchpoints

1. CPC: plaint, written statement, issues, interim relief.
2. CrPC: remand, bail, charge, trial; compounding and plea bargaining basics.
3. Interface: evidence-led strategies and objection handling.

Legal drafting: micro-exercises to practise

• Draft a 1-page legal notice for cheque dishonour (s.138 NI Act).
• Prepare a 300-word opinion on whether misrepresentation vitiates consent under the Contract Act.
• Write a plain outline with cause of action, jurisdiction, reliefs and verification.
• Interpretation of Statutes: rules (literal, golden, mischief), internal/external aids—explain with one section example.

Here’s the interesting part: drafting is tested directly or indirectly across almost every law officer syllabus. Commit to two structured drafts per week.

Auxiliary Subjects: Labour Law, Taxation, Intellectual Property, Environmental & Cyber Law

Auxiliary Subject	Core Statutes/Concepts	Quick Revision Notes
Labour Law	ID Act, EPF Act, ESI Act, Payment of Wages, Minimum Wages, POSH	Definitions, authorities, dispute resolution, and employer liabilities.
Taxation Basics	Income Tax frameworks, GST basics (CGST/IGST)	Taxable event, input credit, registration, penalties (only basics).
Intellectual Property	Trade Marks, Copyright, Patents, Designs	Registration, infringement, passing off, defences and remedies.
Environment Law	Environment (Protection) Act, Air/Water Acts	Standards, consents, liabilities, penalties.
Cyber Law	IT Act: offences, intermediary liability; data protection basics	Electronic evidence, Section 65B certificate, due diligence.

These areas often tilt selections when the core topics are saturated. Build concise one-pagers per statute to keep the law officer syllabus manageable.

How Topics Are Assessed — Question Types & Skill Mapping

• Objective MCQs vs. descriptive/legal opinions
• MCQs test bare Act mastery, definitions, and quick application under time pressure.
• Descriptive questions evaluate structured reasoning, case-law usage, and clarity in drafting/opinions.
• Skills tested
• Statutory knowledge and section recall.
• Legal reasoning and doctrine application.
• Practical drafting and compliance analysis.
• Case synthesis: stating facts, ratio, and application in under 150–200 words.
• Convert the syllabus into practice tasks
• 5 weekly exercises: one opinion, one notice, one plaint/WS outline, 25 MCQs on Evidence, 25 MCQs on Contract/NI.
• Keep a “ratio bank” of 50 landmark cases relevant to the law officer syllabus by the end of Month 2.

Mapping Topics to Specific Exams — Quick Comparative Table (IBPS, RBI, SEBI, NABARD, PSU)

Top 5 topics unique to or emphasised by each exam

Topic/Exam	IBPS SO (2026)	RBI Legal	SEBI Legal	NABARD Legal	PSU/State
Constitutional Law	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium
Administrative Law	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium
Contract & NI Act	High	Medium	Medium	Medium	High
Evidence/CPC/CrPC	High	High	High	High	High
Company Law	Medium	High	High	Medium	Medium
Banking/Financial Laws	High	High	Medium	High	Medium
Securities Laws	Low	Medium	High	Low	Low
Drafting/Interpretation	High	High	High	High	High
Labour/Tax/IP/Cyber	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium

Unique/emphasised highlights:

• IBPS SO Law Officer Syllabus 2026: NI Act, SARFAESI, BR Act, IBC basics, drafting.
• RBI Legal: Company Law governance, BR Act, RBI Act, IBC workflows, drafting.
• SEBI Legal: Securities regulation, Companies Act disclosures, enforcement.
• NABARD Legal: Banking/Agri-finance statutes, compliance frameworks.
• PSU/State: Contract management, labour compliance, and NI Act litigation.

Tweak your plan: strengthen Banking/NI for IBPS; add governance/securities for RBI/SEBI; emphasise recovery/credit for NABARD.

Study Strategy: Prioritisation, Resources & Statute Reading Plan

Three-phase plan (12 weeks)

• Phase 1 (Weeks 1–4): Foundations — Contract, Evidence, Constitution, NI Act; quick Banking Regulation overview.
• Phase 2 (Weeks 5–8): Consolidation — CPC/CrPC mastery, Company Law basics, SARFAESI/IBC workflows; weekly drafting.
• Phase 3 (Weeks 9–12): Practice — full-length mocks, past-year sets, case-law revision, targeted weak-area drills.

Authoritative books and resources

• Bare Acts: carry highlighted copies; add sticky tabs for frequently tested sections.
• Contract/Evidence/CrPC/CPC: Avtar Singh (Contract), Ratanlal & Dhirajlal (IPC/Evidence), Takwani (CPC).
• Company/Banking: Taxmann/Universal Bare Acts; SEBI/RBI/NABARD official circulars.
• Free learning: NLU lecture series on YouTube, PRS India for bill/Act summaries; official regulator portals.

Time allocation and active techniques

• 2–3 hours weekday study: 60% statutes, 20% MCQs, 20% drafting/case notes.
• Weekends: one mock, one full Act revision (e.g., Evidence), one 500-word opinion.
• Use recall ladders: Section → Keyword → Illustration → Case → Practical use.

“I solved 15 past paper sets and wrote 36 short opinions in 60 days. Accuracy rose to 78% while my average draft length shrank from 480 to 310 words—clear, concise, correct.” — a TopRankers alum on IBPS SO Law Officer Preparation

Preparation Checklist & 12‑Week Coverage Plan

Weekly milestones (12-week plan)

Week	Milestone
1	Contract basics; Constitution FR/DPSP; 150 MCQs
2	Evidence relevancy/presumptions; NI Act fundamentals; 2 drafts
3	IPC general exceptions/offences; CPC pleadings; 1 mock
4	CrPC arrest/bail/trial; Banking Regulation intro; review Week 1–3
5	SARFAESI 13(2)/13(4) workflows; IBC overview; 2 drafts
6	Company Law incorporation/Board; 2 mocks; case-law bank (15 cases)
7	CPC execution/appeals; CrPC charge/trial; 200 MCQs
8	Evidence electronic records; Contract remedies; 2 drafts
9	Admin Law principles; Labour/Tax/IP quick notes; 1 mock
10	Securities overview (for SEBI/RBI); Banking recovery caselets
11	Full revision: NI/Banking/IBC; 2 mocks; judgement synthesis
12	Grand revision; past-year sets; final drafting pack

Daily micro-goals

1. 30–40 pages of bare Acts + 25 MCQs.
2. 15-minute section recall (speak aloud).
3. One mini-draft (notice/opinion) on alternate days.
4. Update flashcards (sections, definitions, cases).

Checklist for revision and recall

• 200 flashcards on sections/definitions in the law officer syllabus.
• 50 landmark case summaries (100–150 words each).
• A 20-draft portfolio: notices, opinions, plaints, replies.

Common Preparation Mistakes & Unique Angles Competitors Miss

Top 8 mistakes

1. Ignoring bare Acts; relying only on guides.
2. No drafting practice; weak structure and language.
3. Skipping Banking/NI details for IBPS SO Syllabus 2026.
4. Memorising cases without application.
5. Not tracking regulator circulars (RBI/SEBI/NABARD).
6. Overfocusing on rare topics; underdoing Evidence/CPC/CrPC.
7. No revision cycles or flashcards.
8. Avoiding mocks due to fear of low scores.

Unique angles to exploit

• Clinical practice: review 2 real judgments/week; write a 200-word ratio note.
• Courtroom observation (where feasible) or e-court orders to understand procedure.
• Circular-tracking: maintain a weekly digest; often tested in the law officer syllabus.
• Build answer/drafting bank
• Maintain model templates for notices, legal opinions, and plaints.
• Keep bilingual (English/Hindi) glossaries for common legal terms to support the IBPS SO Syllabus in Hindi.

Conclusion: Summary & Next Steps

A single, standardised approach to the law officer syllabus saves time, reduces stress, and boosts outcomes across IBPS, RBI, SEBI, NABARD and PSU roles. Start with Contract, Evidence and Constitution; layer Banking/NI and CPC/CrPC; then lock in drafting and past papers. This week: set up your statute tabs, make 50 flashcards, and write two short opinions. For updates—especially IBPS SO 2026 Notification and exam revisions—always consult official pages. Then come back to this guide to refine your plan and stay consistent.

And guess what? With a focused plan and daily discipline, you’ll be job-ready across multiple legal recruitments in one season—exactly what this unified law officer syllabus is designed to deliver.