CLAT PG 2026 Topper Usman Saifi Explains Why LLM at NLSIU Beats Early Entry into Practice

The CLAT PG 2026 results were declared on December 16, 2026, and it was a day to remember for Usman Saifi. One of the toppers of CLAT PG 2026, Saifi secured AIR 548 in the postgraduate law entrance exam. Saifi says he was expecting a rank between 50 and 100 in a score of 71.5, but he was immensely happy after he got admission to NLSIU Bengaluru with his rank. The CLAT PG 2026 topper has completed his LLB from the Faculty of Law, University of Lucknow, along with an MA in Political Science from IGNOU. Also, Saifi has completed his Bachelor's degree from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi. Coming from a rural background, he says he draws great inspiration from his father’s resilience and dedication.

Careers360 got in an exclusive conversation where Saifi discussed his preparation strategy in detail, future plans, how he got into NLSIU Bengaluru and a lot of other interesting information. Here are some excerpts from the conversation:

Careers360: Hi Usman, Congratulations on your success! What was your initial reaction upon knowing your rank? Were you expecting such a good AIR, or was it a surprise?

Saifi: AIR 548. When I first saw my rank, I felt a mix of surprise and happiness. Based on the provisional answer key, my score was around 71.5, and after comparing it with previous years’ data, especially considering that last year’s CLAT PG AIR 1 scored around 81 marks, I was expecting a rank somewhere between 50 and 100.
However, this year saw a significant jump in scores, with the AIR 1 scoring 104.25 marks, which led to a major shift in rankings across the board. As a result, my rank moved to 548. While it was initially perplexing, it also highlighted how unpredictable the exam can be each year.
Factors like the three-year practice rule and a 17% increase in CLAT PG enrolment played a major role in raising the cutoff. Overall, the experience reinforced the importance of adaptability and perspective, and I remain satisfied with my performance given the highly competitive nature of this year’s exam.

Careers360: Tell us about yourself, your educational background, the place you belong to, and your family background.

Saifi: My name is Usman Saifi, and I belong to Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. I come from a humble rural background; my father is a scrap store owner, whose dedication and resilience have deeply inspired me.
I completed my schooling in Dhanaura, Amroha, where I emerged as the district topper in Class 12 (PCM). I then moved to Delhi to pursue my Bachelor’s degree from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi.
Later, I completed my LLB from the Faculty of Law, University of Lucknow, along with an MA in Political Science from IGNOU. This July, I will be joining NLSIU, Bengaluru, to pursue my LLM. My academic interests include Law and Technology, Intellectual Property Rights, and Competition and Antitrust Law.

Careers360: Why did you choose LLM instead of joining the profession — corporate or litigation?

Saifi: I believe the legal profession demands not just hard work, but also deep subject-matter expertise and resilience. As a first-generation lawyer, I felt that directly entering the profession—whether corporate or litigation—would come with structural challenges, where institutional exposure, networks, and mentorship often matter as much as individual skill.
Pursuing an LLM, especially from an institution like NLSIU, provides a strong academic and professional platform where one can think critically, refine expertise, and translate ideas into practice. NLUs offer an ecosystem that encourages rigorous research, exposure to contemporary legal issues, and meaningful engagement with the profession.
For students from non-NLU or state universities, accessing quality internships and corporate opportunities can be particularly challenging due to intense competition and curriculum orientation that is often more aligned with judicial services than corporate law. An LLM helps bridge this gap by aligning one’s training with evolving areas such as corporate governance, technology law, and competition law, while also providing access to better academic and professional networks.
Therefore, I saw the LLM not as a delay, but as a strategic step to build competence, confidence, and credibility before entering the profession.

Careers360: How do you look at LLM? Is it only for people who want to join academia or for people looking for specialised expertise in a certain field?

Saifi: I see the LLM as serving both purposes—it is not limited only to academia, nor is it solely for professional advancement. Its relevance depends largely on how and where one chooses to pursue it.
For candidates seeking specialised expertise in a particular field, one-year LLM programmes offered by NLUs and leading private law schools have become increasingly relevant. Current trends show a wide range of specialised programmes such as LLM in Insolvency and Bankruptcy Law, Aviation Law, Space and Maritime Law, and ESG, which are designed to align closely with emerging industry needs and professional practice.
On the other hand, for those who wish to pursue academia or research-oriented careers, two-year LLM programmes offered by traditional central universities such as Delhi University, BHU, Jamia, AMU, and ILI continue to play an important role by providing deeper theoretical grounding and research exposure.
Therefore, I believe the LLM should be viewed as a flexible and purpose-driven degree, equally valuable for building specialised professional expertise as well as for pursuing an academic career.

Careers360: Coming to the preparation, how difficult is it to crack CLAT LLM and secure such a high rank?

Saifi: The difficulty of cracking CLAT PG (LLM) largely depends on the aspiration of the candidate. Securing admission into tier-2 or tier-3 NLUs is achievable with focused preparation and is not extremely difficult. However, the competition becomes significantly tougher when one aims for the top NLUs, particularly NLSIU Bengaluru and NALSAR Hyderabad.
The primary challenge lies in attempt strategy and accuracy. Due to negative marking, attempting too few questions can push a candidate out of contention, while attempting too many without adequate accuracy can be equally risky. Balancing this risk is crucial.
In my view, the only sustainable way to secure a top rank is to attempt a higher number of questions with consistently high accuracy, which requires strong conceptual clarity, excellent comprehension skills, and calm decision-making during the exam. With focused and strategic preparation of around three months, CLAT PG can be effectively cracked, provided one maintains consistency, discipline, and the right exam strategy.

Careers360: Did you opt for coaching or self-study? Is coaching really important for CLAT PG preparation?

Saifi: I enrolled in the foundational CLAT PG course at Finology Legal. However, due to time constraints, in the last three months before the exam, I was able to cover only two to three core subjects and judgments from around two years, alongside self-study whenever possible.
As far as coaching is concerned, I do not believe it is mandatory for CLAT PG preparation. If a candidate has strong conceptual clarity, well-maintained college notes, and a solid foundation in law, they can directly focus on judgments from the previous four to five years, which form a crucial part of the exam.
Coaching can be helpful in providing structure, guidance, and discipline, especially for students who need direction or are starting from scratch. Additionally, for candidates who struggle with reading speed or exam temperament, attempting mock tests in parallel is extremely important to improve accuracy and time management.

Careers360: What are the important subjects and topics that one should focus on while studying for CLAT LLM?

Saifi: Preparation should be done in a combined manner, covering major subjects in depth along with their aligned minor subjects. Major subjects require strong conceptual clarity, while minor subjects should be prepared mainly through recent and landmark judgments.

Jurisprudence (Major Subject)

• Law and Morality

• Hohfeld’s Jural Relations

• Schools of Law

• Definitions and core concepts

Constitutional Law (Major Subject)

• Administrative Law (Minor)

• Environmental Law (Minor)

• Human Rights Law (Minor)

Criminal Law (Major Subject)

• Comparative understanding of old criminal laws

• POSH Act

• POCSO Act

• Domestic Violence Act

• Juvenile Justice Act

International Law (Major Subject)

• International Environmental Law (Minor)

• Recent international developments and crises

Contract Law (Major Subject)

• Specific Relief Act

• Transfer of Property Act

• Family Law

• Labour Laws

Corporate and Company Law (Major Subject)

• SEBI Regulations

• Competition Law (CCI)

• Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)

• Taxation

Careers360: Did you practice the mocks and sample papers? If yes, how important is it to solve the sample papers for CLAT LLM?

Saifi: During my entire preparation, I attempted only two previous years’ question papers and did not take regular mock tests. My preparation was largely focused on conceptual clarity and judgment reading.
In my view, the importance of mocks varies with the nature of the examination. For OLETs, mock tests are extremely important due to their objective structure and time-bound nature. However, for CLAT PG, mocks are not mandatory for everyone. They become necessary primarily for candidates who struggle with time management, reading speed, or exam temperament.
If a candidate already has a decent reading pace and familiarity with legal concepts, it is often more beneficial to invest time in reading and analysing more judgments rather than attempting a large number of mocks. Sample papers should be used strategically—as diagnostic tools—rather than as the sole preparation method.

Careers360: What would you recommend to the aspirants for attempting the CLAT PG question paper and completing it within 2 hours while avoiding negative marking?

Saifi: Completing the entire 48-page CLAT PG question booklet within two hours is often impractical, so aspirants should focus on smart selection and accuracy rather than attempting every question.
A useful strategy is to read the question first and then move to the passage or comprehension with a broad and targeted reading approach, instead of reading the passage line by line from the beginning. This helps save time and reduces confusion.

Broadly, there are three ways to attempt questions:

• Direct attempt: When you are confident about the answer based on prior knowledge.

• Elimination method: Narrowing down options using legal reasoning and judgment principles.

• Calculated risk (hit-and-trial): To be used sparingly and mainly by candidates targeting the top two NLUs.

To avoid negative marking, candidates should prioritise accuracy over volume, attempt questions where they have reasonable certainty, and maintain composure throughout the paper.

Careers360: Since you studied at Lucknow University, how was your experience at the LU Faculty of Law — especially about faculty, internships, moot court/debating culture, and placements?

Saifi: My overall experience at the Faculty of Law, University of Lucknow, has been largely positive. The curriculum is primarily designed in alignment with the Uttar Pradesh Judicial Services (PCS-J) examination, which makes it particularly strong for students interested in litigation and judiciary-oriented preparation.
Faculty-wise, the standard is good, with some professors being exceptionally knowledgeable and inspiring. Notably, Dr. Bhanu Pratap (International Law), Dr. Ashish Kumar Srivastava (Contract and Commercial Law), Dr. Anand Kumar Vishwakarma (Constitutional Law), and Dr. Niharika (Public International Law and Environmental Law) have had a significant academic impact on my legal education.
Regarding internships, opportunities are largely student-driven. The university does not formally facilitate internships, and students must rely on their own initiative, networking, and effort to secure practical exposure.
The moot court and debating culture is reasonably active, and recently, the Fifth National Moot Court Competition was organised, reflecting a growing emphasis on advocacy skills.
As far as placements are concerned, there is no formal placement structure. Any opportunity secured by students is purely the result of individual effort rather than institutional support.