S.M. Latif was inclined towards law and in 1868 was appointed a Translator in the Punjab Chief Court, now known as the Lahore High Court. His pay in those days was one hundred rupees a month, which was exceptionally high for its time. Very soon the judges of the court were so impressed by his legal knowledge and ability to draft legal documents that he was made a Reader of the court. This was the first major step in him being appointed an Extra Assistant Judicial Commission, which led him to serve as District and Sessions Judge in a few districts of the Punjab. As Syed Muhammad Latif traveled across, he was able to read rare manuscripts and documents few had managed to see. This in 1888 resulted in him writing his famous book ‘The History of Punjab with a Description of Lahore’. In academic circles, S.M. Latif had arrived and his book was made compulsory reading for all British officers serving in the Punjab.