NUSRL Ranchi invites registrations for its national Judgement Writing Competition 2026.
About the Organisation
The National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi (NUSRL) is one of India’s recognised National Law Universities established by the State of Jharkhand through Act No. 04 of 2010. The university has consistently contributed to legal education through its integrated undergraduate law programmes, postgraduate LL.M. programme, and doctoral research opportunities in law and allied disciplines.
With a student body of approximately 700 learners across undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programmes, the university has developed a strong academic ecosystem focused on advocacy training, research excellence, and professional readiness. Alumni of the institution have gone on to serve as civil judges, magistrates, advocates before various High Courts and the Supreme Court of India, and legal scholars engaged in teaching and policy research.
Through specialised research centres and student-led initiatives, NUSRL regularly organises academic competitions, conferences, and scholarly engagements that promote practical legal skills among students across India.
About the Opportunity
The Centre for Business Laws at NUSRL Ranchi is organising the Judgement Writing Competition 2026 to promote structured legal reasoning and judicial writing skills among law students and researchers. The competition is designed as an academic simulation exercise in which participants assume the role of a judge and prepare a reasoned judicial decision based on a detailed legal proposition.
Judgement writing competitions are particularly valuable for students preparing for judicial services examinations, appellate litigation practice, or academic research careers. By engaging with complex fact situations and statutory interpretation questions, participants strengthen their analytical ability and understanding of adjudicatory processes.
This competition provides a platform to develop clarity in legal argumentation, precision in reasoning, and familiarity with the structure and style expected in judicial decision-making.
Nature of Work and Responsibilities
Participants in the competition will be required to analyse a detailed legal proposition centred on insolvency law and draft a reasoned judgment addressing the issues raised. The problem focuses on creditor democracy, asset characterisation, and judicial limits on commercial wisdom under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
The proposition examines a stalled real estate insolvency scenario involving homebuyers, financial institutions, and statutory authorities. Participants must evaluate questions relating to classification of development rights as insolvency assets, constitution of the Committee of Creditors in cases involving related parties and assignment of debt, and the legal consequences of procedural irregularities affecting resolution plans.
Through this structured exercise, participants will simulate real judicial reasoning processes by interpreting statutory provisions, applying precedent, and evaluating competing stakeholder interests within the insolvency framework. The competition therefore provides meaningful exposure to applied commercial law adjudication.
Eligibility Criteria
The competition is open to:
Students enrolled in undergraduate law programmes
Postgraduate law students
Research scholars pursuing doctoral programmes in law
Participants must be enrolled in recognised universities in India at the time of registration. Multiple submissions from the same author are not permitted.
Co-authorship is permitted with a maximum of two contributors per submission.
Skills Benefits and Learning Outcomes
Participation in this competition helps students develop essential judicial writing competencies including structured reasoning, statutory interpretation, precedent application, and issue framing techniques. These skills are particularly important for students preparing for judicial services examinations or careers in litigation and dispute resolution practice.
The competition also strengthens familiarity with insolvency law frameworks under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, which remains one of the most significant contemporary areas of commercial legal practice in India. Participants will gain exposure to creditor rights, committee decision-making structures, and judicial oversight principles within insolvency proceedings.
In addition to academic benefits, participants will compete for cash prizes and receive formal recognition through certificates, which can strengthen research portfolios and professional profiles.
Duration Mode Location and Fee Details
The competition will be conducted in online submission mode. Participants are required to prepare and submit their judgement within the prescribed word limit of 2500 to 3000 words excluding footnotes and references.
Formatting requirements include Times New Roman font, font size 12, line spacing of 1.5, justified alignment, and one-inch margins. Submissions must be uploaded in both Word and PDF formats using the prescribed file naming convention.
Registration fee details are as follows:
Single authorship: Rs. 300
Co-authorship with two participants: Rs. 500
Important Dates
Registration deadline: 31 March 2026
Submission deadline: 20 April 2026
Result declaration: 28 April 2026
Participants are advised to complete registration before the deadline to secure eligibility for submission.
Who Should Apply
This competition is particularly suitable for:
Law students preparing for judicial services examinations
Participants interested in insolvency and commercial law practice
Students aiming to strengthen judgement writing and legal reasoning skills
Researchers working in corporate restructuring and creditor rights frameworks
Aspirants planning careers in appellate advocacy or judicial clerkships
Students seeking academic competition experience in structured legal writing
