The Campus Law Centre Student Law Review call for papers invites submissions for the inaugural issue of the flagship student-edited academic publication at the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. As an official Delhi University Faculty of Law student journal, this review is dedicated to publishing high quality student scholarship. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate law students a forum to publish original legal research, analytical case comments, and legislative analyses that satisfy rigorous law review submission guidelines and word limits.
About the Campus Law Centre Student Law Review
The Campus Law Centre (CLC), located on the North Campus of the University of Delhi, has a long tradition of legal scholarship and advocacy training in India. The Student Law Review was established by the Students' Union to encourage scholarly writing and debate on emerging domestic and international legal questions. Run entirely by a student editorial board under faculty advisory supervision, the journal provides a double-blind peer-reviewed outlet for contemporary legal discourse.
For additional student publications, research commentaries, and legal writing opportunities, browse our collection of academic articles and essays.
Eligibility and Author Guidelines
Submissions are open to all bona fide students enrolled in recognized law programs across India and abroad. Key eligibility conditions include:
- Undergraduate Law Students: Students enrolled in three-year LL.B. or five-year integrated B.A. LL.B., B.B.A. LL.B., or B.Sc. LL.B. degree programs.
- Postgraduate Scholars: Students pursuing Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees or doctoral research (Ph.D.) in law.
- Joint Authorship: Co-authorship is permitted up to a maximum of two authors per manuscript. Co-authors may belong to different academic institutions.
- Single Submission Rule: An author or co-author may submit only one manuscript per publication cycle to ensure fair editorial consideration.
To learn more about our academic contributors and research background, visit the portal about page.
Prescribed Submission Categories and Word Counts
Contributors may submit manuscripts across five distinct categories. All specified word limits are exclusive of the abstract and footnotes:
- Long Articles (5,000 to 7,000 words): In-depth theoretical or empirical treatises providing thorough analysis of complex legal principles, constitutional jurisprudence, or international law frameworks.
- Short Articles (3,000 to 4,000 words): Focused academic essays addressing specific statutory provisions, emerging regulatory developments, or comparative legal doctrines.
- Case Comments (2,000 words): Critical evaluations of recent judgments from the Supreme Court of India, High Courts, or international tribunals, assessing legal reasoning and future jurisprudential implications.
- Legislative Comments (2,000 words): Analytical appraisals of recently enacted statutes, pending legislative bills, or proposed constitutional amendments.
- Book Reviews (1,500 words): Critical reviews of recently published legal treatises, academic monographs, or significant reports on justice administration.
Formatting, Abstract, and Citation Requirements
Every submission must adhere to the following technical and formatting standards to avoid administrative rejection during initial screening:
- Abstract Requirement: All manuscripts (except book reviews) must include an abstract of 150 to 200 words summarizing the core research question, methodology, and central findings.
- Citation Style: Footnotes and references must strictly follow Bluebook uniform method of citation legal papers standards (19th or 20th Edition). Endnotes and inline citations are not permitted.
- Document Format: Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx), typed in Times New Roman, font size 12 for the main body with 1.5 line spacing, and font size 10 with single line spacing for footnotes.
- Anonymity Standards: To preserve the integrity of the blind peer-review process, the manuscript file must contain no author names, institutional affiliations, acknowledgments, or identifying markers. Author details must be provided exclusively in the submission email body.
- Non-Plagiarism Declaration: The concluding paragraph of the manuscript must state: “The author(s) declare that this manuscript represents original research, has not been published elsewhere, and is not currently under consideration for publication in any other journal or edited volume.”
Editorial Process and Peer Review Standards
The journal follows a four-stage editorial review process to ensure high standards of scholarship:
- Plagiarism and Technical Screening: Every manuscript undergoes automated plagiarism checking. Submissions with unoriginal or unattributed text are rejected immediately.
- Editorial Board Preliminary Assessment: The editorial board evaluates whether the submission addresses contemporary issues, maintains clear structure, and satisfies basic academic rigor.
- Double-Blind Peer Review: Manuscripts that pass preliminary screening are reviewed anonymously by peer reviewers who assess the depth of legal argument, research quality, and methodological coherence according to established peer review criteria for student law articles.
- Author Revisions and Final Proofing: Authors of selected manuscripts receive detailed reviewer feedback and must incorporate requested revisions before final copyediting and publication.
Best Practices for Writing a Competitive Law Review Paper
Prospective student authors should observe several established academic conventions when preparing their submissions:
- Formulate a Sharp Thesis Statement: An effective legal article does not simply summarize statutory sections or judicial precedents. It presents a distinct, testable argument or critique regarding a specific legal gap, conflict, or policy dilemma.
- Adopt a Logical Section Structure: Organize the article into well-defined sections, beginning with an introduction that contextualizes the problem, followed by statutory analysis, comparative jurisprudence, critical evaluation of policy implications, and a practical conclusion with reform suggestions.
- Rigorous Footnoting and Primary Sourcing: Support every factual claim and legal proposition with authoritative primary sources, including official court reporters, statutory gazette notifications, parliamentary committee reports, and established academic treatises.
- Precision in Case Comments: When drafting a case comment, clearly distinguish between the factual background, the ratio decidendi, and obiter dicta. Focus the critique on whether the court followed precedent correctly and how the decision impacts future litigation in that branch of law.
Submission Deadline and Contact Information
Prospective authors participating in this legal research paper call for submissions DU should submit their manuscripts before the announced deadline. Submissions must be sent via email with the subject line “Submission for CLC Student Law Review – [Category of Submission]” to the official editorial email address: clcstudentlawreview2012@gmail.com.
For editorial inquiries, clarifications regarding formatting rules, or tracking the status of submitted manuscripts, authors may visit the official journal web page at http://clcstudentlawreview.blogspot.in or contact the editorial board via email.