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And yes, if you are regular in Court, it will help your chances in being designated, subject, of course, to you not being a rubber stamp for filing matters.
As far as income is concerned, there are a number of ways you will earn:
1. Lawyers will refer matters to you. Mostly these are drafted by them and you have to file. These are usually fixed fee matters and the fee can range anywhere from 10K to 33K or even more. In some cases you can get a per appearance fee or bill for individual drafts or some sort of a staggered fee arrangement. Tap all your outstation contacts to get briefs (there are lawyers who make monthly trips to HCs to get matters). Bear in mind that the lawyer referring the matter to you may have charged the client 2X your fee by telling the client that it's your fee.
2. Clients engage you to draft and file matters. These are higher paying depending on the stakes involved, and you can quote whatever you want factoring in your experience, the client's ability to pay, etc. Unless you have a client base beforehand, this is unlikely as other lawyers will generally not refer clients to you.
3. Panels or retainerships. If you can, please apply for panels, including Legal Aid. If eligible, undergo the mediation training. These are small things but add up over time.
4. Street smart clerks will get you matters through their own networks. These are usually low paying matters and the clerk will include his portion in the fee which is quoted to the client.
5. Find a chamber or law firm or senior who/which does not have an AoR or is looking to change their AoR. A lot of your work may come from lawyers unhappy with their previous AoRs, or lawyers looking for AoRs with lesser fee. As a new AoR, you need to capitalise on any opportunity in an already saturated market. If you can deliver, people will engage you on a regular basis, and even if you have 2-3 lawyers who swear by you, it should keep briefs coming in regularly, in addition to frequent court appearances.
Be alive to the fact that a large number of AoRs clear the examinations every year. While someone may approach you to get a quote, presume they are also checking the market to find AoRs with lesser fee. There will always be someone who will be willing to quote a lesser fee than you, so it's all on your network and you to convert the client or get lawyers to send you briefs.
Needless to state, all of this hinges on you clearing the examinations, and good luck to you for that. Brush up on writing speed and watch the lectures relevant for your examination year.