The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) invites applications (one position) for a JSW Centre for the Future of Law Short Term Visiting Fellowship position for the period of March-May 2026 at NLSIU.

About NLSIU

NLSIU was established in 1987 to be a pioneer in legal education. Over the last three decades the University has evolved as an innovative leader in law, social sciences, humanities, and public policy education and research in India. It has also been ranked first among the law universities in the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) for the last eight years.

About the 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.

About the JSW Visiting Fellowship

The Centre aims to pioneer cutting-edge, interdisciplinary work on the future of law across its thematic areas, which include:

1. Law and artificial intelligence;
2. Data governance and regulation;
3. Health, biotechnology and ethics;
4. Risk regulation and regulatory design;
5. Climate, biodiversity and ecological justice;
6. Technology and legal system reform.

Towards this end, the Centre is pleased to announce Visiting Fellowships to support scholars who wish to further develop their research, produce critical scholarship, and foster collaborations while in residence at the JSW Centre for the Future of Law.

Visiting Fellows will be part of a rich intellectual community of faculty, researchers, and students engaged in re-imagining law’s institutions and methods. Fellows will be expected to pursue an independent research project aligned with the Centre’s themes, present their work-in-progress in a seminar or public lecture, and contribute at least one research or policy output (such as a working paper, article, or policy brief). They will also be invited to participate in the Centre’s ongoing projects, workshops, and teaching activities, including mentoring students and collaborating on joint initiatives where appropriate.

Applications are invited for a visiting fellow for 3 months during the March – May Trimester (From March 1st till May 30th 2026) of the University.

More information about the Centre and its thematic priority areas can be found here.

Responsibilities

The Fellows will be expected to:

• Work full-time out of  at the JSW-CFL in the NLSIU campus in Bengaluru;
• Develop and execute a research project around a topic related to one of the Centre’s thematic priority areas;
• Develop at least one working paper and/or two short-form pieces, such as blog articles, policy briefs, case briefs, opinion pieces or commentaries in popular media during the period of the fellowship;
• Present at a faculty seminar or research colloquium on campus;
• Strengthen various research activities in the Centre through feedback, evaluation, and participating in strategy meets;
• Deliver guest lectures in a course in their field of research.

Other Terms of the Fellowships

The Fellows will:

• Get an opportunity to be part of NLSIU’s rich intellectual environment, participate in its workshops and seminars, avail of its extensive library and digital resources.
• Remuneration will be commensurate with the  qualifications and experience of the candidates.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• PhD degree in law, social sciences, public policy, or allied disciplines or ten years of experience in research or academic roles.
• Demonstrated education or professional expertise in at least one of the centres’ thematic priority areas.
• Proven research activity, including publications or equivalent output.

Desirable

• 1-3 years of post-doctoral research experience.
• Excellent demonstrated writing and editing skills across academic, policy, and public-facing formats.
• Strong analytical, collation/synthesis, communication (written and oral), technical, and time-management skills.
• Self-driven and collaborative, with the ability to work independently.

Compensation

Salary will be commensurate with qualification and experience and will be in the range of Rs. 1,00,000 to 1,50,000 per month.

How To Apply

Please use the Google form here, and include the following documents:

• Up to date CV
• Statement of Purpose or a short video (not more than three minutes submitted via YouTube link) outlining your research proposal and your suitability to undertake it
• A research proposal (not more than 1000 words) on one of the six themes of the centre, explaining the scope, significance, methods and timeline of the proposed research that they plan to undertake at the Centre
• One writing sample, preferably a solo-authored published piece
• If currently employed, a no-objection letter from the employee stating that the candidate will be allowed to pursue the fellowship from March till May
• Contact details of two referees

For any queries, please write to

Deadline

The last date for submission of applications is February 3, 2026 by 5 PM (IST).