JSW Centre for the Future of Law

The JSW Centre for the Future of Law was established in 2024 at NLSIU, Bengaluru, with the support of the JSW Foundation. The purpose of the Centre is to expand academic learning, advance research, and inform policy debates on issues related to law, technology, and system reform. Through partnerships across academia, governments, regulators, civil society and industry, the Centre aims to promote a robust and interdisciplinary understanding of issues such as the interface between health and regulation; the environment and the law; corporate governance; and the impact of new technologies on the future of the legal system, the legal profession and legal education.

It commenced research activities during the Academic Year 2025-2026.

Thematic Priorities

The major areas of work, along with some of the questions that we are interested in, are described below:

Law and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
How should law guide the responsible development and deployment of AI? What principles should structure accountability and liability across the AI lifecycle? How can transparency and rights protection be embedded without stifling innovation? How should legal and governance frameworks address algorithmic bias and the alignment of AI systems with societal and constitutional values?

Data Governance and Regulation
How can legal and institutional frameworks balance privacy, innovation and fair competition in data‑driven economies? What models best support trustworthy sharing and reuse of data for public interest purposes? How should rules evolve for cross‑border and large‑scale data flows?

Health, Biotechnology and Ethics
How should regulation and ethics frameworks keep pace with emerging biomedical and health technologies? Current debates on the balance between innovation incentives, patient safety and equitable access remain relevant to the regulation of the health sector. Administrative, consumer and intellectual property laws shape these questions.

Risk Regulation and Regulatory Design
How can law align climate mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity protection goals? What approaches advance ecological justice while enabling sustainable development? How should legal mechanisms adapt to emerging scientific knowledge and evolving equity concerns?

Climate, Biodiversity and Ecological Justice
How should regulation and ethics frameworks keep pace with emerging bio and health technologies? What balance between innovation incentives, patient safety and equitable access is appropriate? How can consent and oversight mechanisms adapt to data‑intensive health research?

Technology and Legal System Reform 
How can digital technologies drive meaningful improvements in court administration, legal services and access to justice? What governance and ethical frameworks should guide adoption in professional practice and education? How should data and infrastructure choices support transparency, quality and inclusion?

Activities

Research and Innovation 

The Centre aims to pioneer innovative models of legal regulation and to nurture technologies that drive systemic reform and expand access to justice. It serves as a hub for early-career, doctoral and post-doctoral scholars engaged in cutting-edge research. It also partners with governments, domestic and international regulators, academia, civil-society organisations, and private-sector actors to collaborate on research projects. The Centre also hosts visiting researchers for defined residencies to pursue independent and collaborative work aligned with its research agenda.

Conferences, Lectures, and Workshops

The Centre organises talks, conferences, and workshops aligned with its thematic priorities. This includes a workshop series where we invite senior scholars to present works-in-progress to get feedback from their peers. We also host guest lectures and multi-paper seminars where scholars present recent and ongoing research.

Annual lecture

Every year, the Centre will convene a flagship public lecture delivered by a distinguished scholar or seasoned practitioner whose scholarship or professional experience aligns closely with the Centre’s research agenda. The first annual lecture is planned for the end of 2025.

Institutional engagement with community and stakeholders 

The Centre will prioritise sustained and meaningful engagement with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, recognising that its research and policy outputs must be informed by, and responsive to, the needs and experiences of those directly affected. This includes establishing long-term partnerships with community groups, grassroots organisations, industry bodies, professional associations, and relevant government agencies. The Centre also facilitates structured forums such as public consultations, stakeholder roundtables, and community advisory boards to create spaces for exchange between researchers, practitioners, and the public.

Team

Prof. Umakanth Varottil, Visiting Director 

Prof. Umakanth teaches at the National University of Singapore and specialises in issues related to corporate law and governance, mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. Prof Varottil provides strategic guidance and mentorship to the Centre team at NLSIU and is overseeing partnerships and professional networks for the Centre.

Dr. Rahul Hemrajani, Faculty Director 

Rahul’s work focusses on the empirical analysis of judicial institutions and the applications of AI technology in the legal field. His published and ongoing research is on adjudication in the Supreme Court of India, protest policing, and the use of AI in the judicial process.

Siddharth M, Project Manager

Siddharth’s work focusses on the regulation of digital systems, their interaction with users, and the technical bases and tools underpinning them.

Contact Us

Any queries regarding the activities of the Centre can be directed to or