SBI SO Law Officer Eligibility 2026: Age Limit, Qualification

Overview: Want to apply for the SBI SO law officer exam 2026? It's important you check your eligibility first.  

• In the official notification, along with the vacancies, the specific SBI SO law officer eligibility criteria are also mentioned.  
• There are vacancies for the Assistant Manager (Law) and Deputy Manager (Law) which need you to meet a few common and other specific eligibility conditions.  

Here, we give you all the details so you can check your eligibility. 

Looking for more details on the exam? Check out SBI SO Law Officer Recruitment page! 

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What Are the SBI SO Law Officer Eligibility Conditions for 2026?  

Both posts, according to the SBI SO law officer vacancy notification: Assistant Manager (Law) and Deputy Manager (Law) have specific eligible conditions.  

Here's a quick overview before we get into the details.  

Criterion	Assistant Manager (Law)	Deputy Manager (Law)
Grade	JMGS-I	MMGS-II
Nationality	Indian Citizen	Indian Citizen
Educational Qualification	Law degree from a recognised Indian university + Bar Council enrolment	Law degree from a recognised Indian university + Bar Council enrolment
Minimum Age	25 years	25 years
Maximum Age	32 years	35 years
Age Cut-off Date	As on 31st May 2026	As on 31st May 2026
Experience	2 years post-enrolment	4 years post-enrolment

Note: You can apply for only one post.  

Now, let's understand each of the SBI SO law officer eligibility conditions in detail.  

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Nationality  

To be eligible for the SBI SCO Law Officer 2026 recruitment, a candidate must be a citizen of India. Only applicants who satisfy SBI's prescribed nationality requirements, as per Government of India norms, are permitted to apply for these Specialist Cadre Officer roles.  

Educational Qualifications  

Both Law Officer posts share the same core academic requirement, with experience being the key differentiator.  

• Law Degree: A degree in Law (a standard 3-year LLB after graduation, or a 5-year integrated law programme) from a university recognised in India. Candidates with the 5-year integrated law degree may be given preference. 
• Bar Council Enrolment: Candidates must be enrolled as an Advocate with the Bar Council. Crucially, the required work experience must be counted after this enrolment. 
• Postgraduate Degree (optional): A postgraduate law qualification is not mandatory but can strengthen a candidate's profile.  

Note: Internship experience and teaching or training assignments generally do not count as the required professional experience. Always confirm what qualifies against the official notification.  

Once you check your eligibility, make sure you prepare according to the indicative syllabus.  

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Age Limit  

The minimum age is 25 years for both posts. The maximum age differs by post and is calculated as on 31st May 2026.  

Post	Minimum Age	Maximum Age
Assistant Manager (Law)	25 years	32 years
Deputy Manager (Law)	25 years	35 years

Several categories are eligible for age relaxation.  

Category	Age Relaxation
SC / ST	5 years
OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)	3 years
PwBD (Gen/EWS)	10 years
PwBD (OBC)	13 years
PwBD (SC/ST)	15 years

Remember: Cumulative age relaxation under multiple categories is not permitted. You can claim relaxation under only one applicable category.  

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Professional Experience 

Experience is the main factor separating the two posts, and it must be post-enrolment with the Bar Council, calculated as on the cut-off date.  

• Assistant Manager (Law): 2 years of experience as a practising advocate; OR 2 years as a Law Officer in the Legal Department of a Scheduled Commercial Bank; OR 2 years of combined experience across both. 
• Deputy Manager (Law): 4 years of experience as a practising advocate; OR 4 years as a Law Officer in the Legal Department of a Scheduled Commercial Bank; OR 4 years of combined experience across both.  

The experience requirement ensures candidates bring practical, relevant legal exposure to the role. It includes giving legal opinions, vetting and drafting agreements, managing litigation, and advising on legal risk.  

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SBI SO Law Officer Eligibility 2026: What Are the Reservations Applicable?  

• Reservations for SC, ST, OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), EWS, and PwBD categories apply as per Government of India norms.  
• PwBD reservation is horizontal and included within the overall vacancy of the respective parent category.  
• The number of vacancies, including reserved vacancies, is provisional and may vary as per the actual requirements of the Bank.  

Check the category-wise breakup on the SBI SCO Law Officer Vacancy 2026 page. 

Here are the key takeaways:  

• Applicants must be an Indian citizen  
• They must have a Law degree (LLB / 5-year integrated) from a recognised Indian university + Bar Council enrolment  
• Age requirements are: 25-32 years (Assistant Manager) and 25-35 years (Deputy Manager), as on 31 May 2026, with relaxations for reserved categories  
• Minimum experience: 2 years (Assistant Manager) or 4 years (Deputy Manager) of post-enrolment legal experience  
• One post only: You cannot apply for both posts