Supreme Court Legal Services Committee

What Supreme Court Legal Services Committee does

The Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC) is a statutory body constituted under Section 3A of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free legal aid to eligible litigants approaching the Supreme Court of India. It serves marginalized and weaker sections of society as defined under Section 12 of the Act, including persons with annual income below Rs. 5,00,000, SC/ST members, women and children, persons with disabilities, victims of trafficking and mass disasters, industrial workmen, and persons in custody. The committee is chaired by a sitting Supreme Court judge (currently Hon'ble Smt. Justice B.V. Nagarathna) with the Chief Justice of India serving as Patron-in-Chief, and it operates from the Supreme Court of India complex in New Delhi under the aegis of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

SCLSC delivers its services through a multi-channel digital and physical infrastructure: an Online Web Portal for e-Filing legal aid applications (launched April 2022), a Video Conferencing interface enabling pan-India interaction across approximately 19-20 Indian languages, a Front Office at the Supreme Court premises, and a Supreme Court Mediation Centre offering physical, virtual, and hybrid mediation. Cases are screened by a Screening Committee and assigned to empaneled advocates drawn from an AOR Panel (77+ advocates), Non-AOR Panel (47+ advocates), and Senior Advocates (133+), supported by 454+ trained mediators. The committee also organizes periodic Lok Adalat sessions for conciliation-based settlement of pending matters.

SCLSC operates a non-commercial revenue model: all legal services are provided free of cost, and the organization is funded by the Government of India through the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Department of Justice. No fees are charged at any stage of service delivery. Its internal staff comprises approximately 13 administrative personnel and 2 consultants, with service capacity scaled through its panel of empaneled advocates and a referral network spanning 36+ State Legal Services Authorities and numerous District/Taluk Legal Services Committees across India.

Name

Supreme Court Legal Services Committee

Legal name

Supreme Court Legal Services Committee

Website

https://sclsc.gov.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Supreme Court Legal Services Committee is a statutory body under India's Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 that provides free legal aid and representation to marginalized litigants before the Supreme Court of India, supported by an e-Filing portal, video conferencing interface, and a panel of empaneled advocates and mediators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Free Government-Funded Legal Services: SCLSC is a statutory body constituted under Section 3A of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, providing free legal aid to weaker sections of society. The organization is funded by the government and does not charge any fees for its services. All services including legal representation before the Supreme Court are provided at no cost to eligible applicants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SCLSC provides free legal aid and representation to eligible weaker sections of society for cases before the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, under Section 3A of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Its core services include processing online legal aid applications via its e-Filing portal, assigning empaneled advocates (AOR Panel, Non-AOR Panel, Senior Advocates) to represent litigants, providing multi-language Video Conferencing for remote consultations, conducting Lok Adalats for conciliation, and operating the Supreme Court Mediation Centre for alternative dispute resolution.

Product overview

The Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC) operates as a unified legal aid platform providing free legal services to marginalized and weaker sections eligible under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. The organization's digital infrastructure centers on an Online Web Portal enabling e-Filing of legal aid applications, complemented by a Video Conferencing Interface for remote interactions across state/district legal services authorities supporting 19 Indian languages. Physical service delivery includes a Front Office staffed with legal counsel at the Supreme Court premises. The platform also maintains specialized panels of Advocates-on-Record, non-AOR advocates, senior advocates, and mediators; publishes mediation causelists; provides application status tracking; and organizes periodic Lok Adalat sessions for conciliation-based dispute resolution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Legal Aid Application / e-Filing Portal Digital platform enabling eligible litigants to submit online applications for free legal aid services and file petitions before the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India; includes a publicly accessible e-Filing workflow and guidelines.
• Video Conferencing (VC) Interface Video conferencing service enabling litigants to interact remotely with SCLSC/HCLSC/DLSC/TLSC front offices, supporting approximately 20 Indian languages for accessibility.
• Front Office / Legal Services Counsel In-person legal advice service located at the Supreme Court premises where litigants can approach legal service counselors for guidance and assistance with applications.
• Application Status Tracking Online service allowing applicants to track the status of their legal aid applications using ANR number, name, year, state, and district.
• Mediation Causelist & Services Service listing cases scheduled for mediation with details including mediator names, dates, times, and mode (Physical/Virtual/Hybrid); delivered through the Supreme Court Mediation Centre.
• Panel of Advocates (AOR and Non-AOR) Database of empaneled Advocates-on-Record (AOR) and non-AOR advocates available to represent eligible litigants in Supreme Court matters.
• Mediator Panel Roster of trained mediators including senior advocates and counselors available to facilitate dispute resolution through mediation.
• Lok Adalat Services Conciliation-based dispute resolution system organized periodically in Supreme Court premises for amicable settlement of pending matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 952,552+ website visitors served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNALSA is the parent regulatory body governing all Legal Services Authorities in India including SCLSC. SCLSC operates under the aegis of NALSA and follows its regulations, schemes, and guidelines for providing free legal services.
• Supreme Court of IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCLSC is located within the Supreme Court premises and provides legal aid specifically for cases falling under the jurisdiction of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. The Chief Justice of India serves as the Patron-in-Chief of SCLSC.
• State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor36+ State Legal Services Authorities across India work in coordination with SCLSC to identify and refer eligible litigants, process applications, and provide legal services at state/district levels through their network of DLSA/TLSC/HCLSC.
• Supreme Court Mediation CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Supreme Court Mediation Centre located at Room No. 101-109, Supreme Court provides mediation services for SCLSC matters. The centre is equipped with facilities for physical, virtual, and hybrid mediation sessions.
• Bar Council of India and State Bar CouncilsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCLSC empanels advocates from the legal community including Advocates-on-Record (AOR), Non-AOR advocates, and Senior Advocates who provide free legal representation. The empanelment process is governed by NALSA regulations requiring minimum 3 years' bar experience.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Legal Services Corporation (LSC, United States): LSC is the US federally-funded independent entity that provides civil legal aid to low-income Americans. It is directly comparable to SCLSC because both are government-chartered, publicly-funded legal aid bodies operating as institutional intermediaries between indigent litigants and empaneled private attorneys.
• National Legal Services Authority (NALSA): NALSA is SCLSC's parent regulatory body overseeing all legal services authorities in India. It is directly comparable because it operates the same legal-aid mandate at a national level, supervises the same network of SLSAs/DLSAs, and shares the same statutory basis under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.

Emerging players

• Pro Bono Net: Pro Bono Net is a US-based nonprofit that supports the pro bono legal aid ecosystem through technology, training, and volunteer mobilization. It is comparable to SCLSC because both operate as intermediaries that route eligible low-income clients to qualified volunteer/empaneled attorneys.
• LawWorks (UK): LawWorks is a UK charity supporting the delivery of pro bono legal services to individuals and nonprofits in need. It is comparable to SCLSC because both focus on brokering free legal services from a panel of qualified lawyers to clients who cannot afford representation, paired with training and quality oversight.
• Justice Connect (Australia): Justice Connect is an Australian not-for-profit that connects vulnerable people with pro bono legal help and runs systemic reform programs. It is comparable to SCLSC in mission (free legal services for disadvantaged groups) and in acting as an institutional broker between clients and a panel of private lawyers.
• Namati: Namati is an international legal empowerment organization that trains community paralegals to deliver legal aid and access-to-justice services in developing countries. It is comparable to SCLSC because both focus on serving marginalized populations through structured paralegal/intermediary models rather than traditional law firm delivery.
• International Legal Foundation (ILF): ILF builds criminal defense legal aid capacity in post-conflict and developing jurisdictions. It is comparable to SCLSC because both focus on institutional legal aid delivery for vulnerable populations (custodial and indigent defendants in ILF's case, marginalized litigants in SCLSC's) rather than commercial legal practice.

Regional players

• Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA): MSLSA is a peer State Legal Services Authority operating under NALSA alongside SCLSC. It is comparable because it runs the same legal-aid framework for a high-volume Indian state, including front offices, mediation, and Lok Adalats, providing useful precedent for SCLSC's pan-India delivery model.
• Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA): DSLSA is one of the 36+ State Legal Services Authorities in SCLSC's referral and service-delivery network. It is comparable because it delivers the same legal-aid mandate under the same Act, but at state level and primarily for High Court and district matters, while SCLSC focuses exclusively on Supreme Court cases.

Direct peers

• National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA): NLADA is the oldest US-based membership organization devoted to delivering legal aid and defender services to marginalized populations. It is comparable to SCLSC because both coordinate networks of pro bono lawyers, run training and quality programs, and advocate for systemic access-to-justice reforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Supreme Court Legal Services Committee