CLAT 2026 Counselling Begins: The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) has announced the counselling schedule for CLAT 2026 after the declaration of results. Candidates who have qualified for the Common Law Admission Test 2026 will be eligible to participate in the centralised admission counselling process for undergraduate and postgraduate law programs offered by the participating NLUs.
According to the notice, the counselling process will be conducted in five rounds, with seat allotment released in different phases based on the candidate’s preference, rank, and availability of seats.
CLAT 2026 Admission Counselling
CLAT 2026 admission counselling will begin with the opening of the registration window on December 16. Eligible candidates will have to register online on the CLAT portal and pay the counselling registration fee within the stipulated deadline.
The first allotment list will be published in early January 2026, after which candidates will have to choose their preference from ‘Freeze’, ‘Float’, or ‘Exit’ in each round of counselling. Here is the detailed schedule for CLAT 2026 counselling. In each round of counselling, candidates who are allotted a seat in any of the participating NLUs can choose from the ‘Freeze’, ‘Float’, or ‘Exit’ options.
To secure a seat under the ‘Freeze’ option in any of the five counselling rounds, candidates must pay the prescribed non-refundable confirmation fee within the given deadline. Failure to complete the necessary formalities may lead to the cancellation of the allotted seat.
CLAT 2026 Counselling Schedule for UG and PG Admissions:
| Particulars | Schedules |
| Registration for admission counselling (including payment of the counselling registration fee) | December 16 to December 27, 2025 |
| Declaration of first allotment list (first round begins) | January 7, 2026 |
| Payment of confirmation fees and admission by NLUs for the first allotment list. | January 7 to January 15, 2026 |
CLAT 2026 Counselling: Required Documents
Required Documents for UG, PG Admissions. Candidates should keep scanned copies of the necessary documents ready for uploading during the admission counselling process. Items marked as mandatory are essential for completing the admission formalities. The list is provided below as per the official notification:
+ Class 10 statement of marks
+ Class 12 statement of marks
+ CLAT 2026 admit card
+ LL.B./B.L./Equivalent degree statement of marks (for PG candidates only)
+ Character/Conduct certificate from the last educational institution attended
+ Transfer/Migration certificate from the last educational institution attended
+ Caste certificate (SC/ST/OBC, if applicable)
+ PwD/SAP certificate (if applicable) Domicile/Residence certificate (if applicable)
Any other supporting documents for category claims, such as EWS certificate, children of serving/retired defence personnel, sons/daughters of ex-servicemen, etc. Please note that the CLAT authority has reiterated that all counselling-related activities will be conducted online only through the CLAT portal by the Consortium of National Law Universities, and not through any third-party website.
Top 10 Law Colleges in India:
National Law Universities (NLUs) dominate the list of top law colleges in India, with NLSIU Bangalore, National Law University (NLU) Delhi, and NALSAR Hyderabad consistently ranking at the top, followed by WBNUJS Kolkata and GNLU Gandhinagar. Private institutions like Symbiosis Law School Pune also frequently secure good ranks based on NIRF and other rankings. Here is a list of the main contenders who are frequently included in the top 10 rankings:
| Name of Law College | Location | NIRF Ranking 2025 |
| National Law School of India University | Bangalore | #1 |
| National Law University | New Delhi | #2 |
| Nalsar University of Law | Hyderabad | #3 |
| The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences | Kolkata | #4 |
| Gujarat National Law university | Gandhinagar | #5 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur | Kharagpur | #6 |
| Symbiosis Law School | Pune | #7 |
| Jamia Milia Islamia | New Delhi | #8 |
| Aligarh Muslim University | Aligarh | #9 |
| Siksha `O` Anusandhan | Bhubaneshwar | #10 |
