Cleared Supreme Court AoR written · drafting scores in 80s
Arjun Pillai
Advocate-on-Record (AoR qualified) · 2026
“The Drafting Intensive was four weeks that rewrote how I type every sentence. I still keep the feedback rubric open next to my drafts.”
- Attempt
- Second
- Drafting paper %
- 84%
- Drafts critiqued in-course
- 11
Second time round
Arjun had failed the AoR exam on his first attempt by six marks, heavily on drafting. He was already four years into practice at the Delhi HC.
He came to the Intensive with the brief: tighten the pleadings, fix the prayer clauses, cut the 30% of every draft that was noise.
The critique loop
Eleven drafts, each critiqued in faculty office hours the week after submission. The breakthrough was realising that most of his prose was hedging — the parentheticals, the 'it is respectfully submitted that…' chains, the double qualifications.
By week three the drafts were 40% shorter and read twice as persuasively. The feedback rubric — a one-page sheet — is what he now uses for every real draft.
AoR
Cleared on attempt two. Drafting paper in the 80s — his lowest subject on attempt one, and his highest on attempt two.
Other outcomes worth reading.
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