Legal Job | Associate (Mitigation) & Legal Consultant (Maritime Law) at NALSAR: Apply by October 18!

NALSAR University of Law is hiring three Associate (Mitigation) positions and three Legal Consultant (Maritime Law) positions.

About NALSAR University of Law

NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, formally the National Academy of Legal Study and Research University of Law, is a National Law University established in 1998 in Hyderabad, Telangana. The University hosts specialised centres and initiatives, including The Square Circle Clinic, and engages in collaborative projects with government institutions.

Associate (Mitigation) at The Square Circle Clinic

NALSAR University of Law, through The Square Circle Clinic (TSCC), is seeking to engage, on a contractual basis, three associates in the position of Associate (Mitigation) at its New Delhi office. The contract will be for one year initially and may be extended on an annual basis at the discretion of the University. The Associate will be responsible for working on cases being handled by The Square Circle Clinic, primarily concerning prisoners sentenced to death.

The Square Circle Clinic was established at NALSAR University of Law in April 2025, when the entire team from Project 39A transitioned from the National Law University, Delhi. The Clinic continues its commitment to the constitutional ideal of equal access to justice, building on foundational work in pro bono criminal defense, forensics, death penalty litigation, mental health and punishment, and is expanding its scope to include wrongful convictions, the criminalisation of poverty, and the role of science and technology in the criminal justice system.

Role and Responsibilities

The Associate (Mitigation) will be part of the defence team providing legal representation to death row prisoners. The associate will work closely with lawyers to collect and analyse detailed qualitative information towards developing a life history of the accused by meaningfully engaging with the accused, their family and acquaintances, and finding documents and records relating to the accused’s childhood, social context, and physical and mental health. The information collected would be presented in the form of a mitigation investigation report to aid the courts in deciding an appropriate punishment. The responsibilities include:

• Devising effective strategies and communication tools to establish contact with, build rapport with, and obtain relevant information from prisoners, their families and other persons and authorities.
• Travelling extensively throughout India to meet and communicate with prisoners, their family members and other persons who may have information relevant for mitigation.
• Incorporating the information collected about the prisoner into their legal case, to be presented before senior counsel, judicial forums, or as part of mercy petitions.
• Drafting Mitigation Investigation Reports and other relevant documents to be presented before courts.
• Engaging with mental health professionals and other allied experts to obtain their professional opinion about individual cases.
• Engaging with academic works to develop frameworks of analysis for each case.
• Producing op-eds, blogs and academic writing on developments in the field.
• Engaging with and organising workshops and conferences for prison officials, judges, lawyers and others within the criminal justice system.
• Presenting the work of The Square Circle Clinic at various fora.

Qualifications

• A postgraduate degree in social work, psychology, criminology, development studies, economics, sociology, law or any allied discipline.
• Two years of work experience in the respective field is preferred.
• Previous fieldwork involving ethnographic research, interviewing, investigative capacities or mental health will be considered an advantage.
• Substantial proficiency in reading and speaking Hindi is necessary, and proficiency in languages such as Bhojpuri, Bengali, Punjabi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu would be an advantage.

Remuneration and Application

The compensation is Rs. 65,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience. Interested persons may apply with their resumé and a written assignment of not more than 800 words, answering the question: “What is your strongest held belief? How did you come to hold it?” Applications must reach no later than 11:59 PM on October 25, 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be required to be present at the New Delhi office for the selection process, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted via email.

Legal Consultant (Maritime Law) with the Directorate General of Shipping

NALSAR University of Law is also inviting applications for the post of Legal Consultant (Maritime Law) on a contractual basis, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Shipping, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India, Mumbai. There are three positions available, and the location is the Directorate General of Shipping headquarters in Mumbai.

• Applicants must be fluent in English.
• Applicants must hold an LL.M in Maritime Law, Insurance Law, Maritime Security Law or International Law, preferably with 1 to 2 years of experience.
• Candidates should be below 35 years of age as on September 30, 2026.
• The remuneration is Rs. 60,000 per month (consolidated).
• The tenure is initially for one year, extendable based on performance.

Applications are accepted only through the online application form, through which applicants must upload their resumé and a statement of purpose of not more than 750 words, explaining their interest and the contribution they see themselves making through the position. Shortlisted candidates will be called for an interview, based on which the final selection will be made, and call letters will be sent only to the shortlisted candidates.

Contact

For queries, candidates may reach NALSAR University of Law at Justice City, Shamirpet, Hyderabad, Telangana 500101, on +91 40 23498104 or at registrar@nalsar.ac.in.

Application Procedure

For the Associate (Mitigation) position at The Square Circle Clinic:

The last date for applications is 11:59 PM on October 25, 2026.

For the Legal Consultant (Maritime Law) position with the Directorate General of Shipping:

The last date for applications is October 18, 2026.