Call for Blogs: The CJLT Blog by Centre for Jurisprudence and Legal Theory, NLIU Bhopal (Rolling, 1,000-2,000 Words)

The Centre for Jurisprudence and Legal Theory (CJLT) at the National Law Institute University, Bhopal seeks to ignite rigorous scholarship in Jurisprudence and Legal Theory. The Centre aims to cultivate sustained interest in foundational legal thought, challenge the misplaced perception of jurisprudence as inherently abstruse, and push the boundaries of existing knowledge. Rooted in the belief that everything which is a human construct is ultimately intelligible to human beings, CJLT endeavours to simplify, amplify and meaningfully signify the objectives and scope of jurisprudence, and to disseminate the philosophical and scientific theories that shape the methods of answering questions seeking truth about law.

NLIU Bhopal is a public law university established in 1997 by the State of Madhya Pradesh, the second institution of its kind in India, conceived on the proposal of Justice J.S. Verma. It is a member of the Association of Indian Universities, has the Chief Justice of India as its Visitor, and maintains close institutional engagement with the High Court of Madhya Pradesh and the National Judicial Academy.

The CJLT Blog is operated by the Centre as a platform dedicated to advancing scholarship in Jurisprudence, Legal Theory, and allied philosophical and interdisciplinary inquiries into law. The Blog seeks to foster rigorous, original and critical engagement with foundational questions about law, its nature, methods, values, and its relationship with morality, politics, society, science and human reasoning.

The Blog endeavours to dispel the perception of jurisprudence as abstruse or inaccessible by encouraging clear, analytical and conceptually sound writing, while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of existing theoretical discourse. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.

The CJLT Blog accepts submissions on themes including, but not limited to, the following:

• Jurisprudence and Legal Theory
• Why Jurisprudence?
• Analytical, Normative and Critical Legal Theory
• Natural Law, Legal Positivism, Legal Realism and Interpretivism
• Constitutional Theory and Rights Jurisprudence
• Philosophy of Law, Justice and Morality
• Law and Philosophy (Ethics, Political Philosophy, Metaphysics, Epistemology)
• Law and Social Theory
• Indian traditions of jurisprudence, such as Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Dharmashastra
• Comparative Jurisprudence
• Interdisciplinary approaches to understanding law

Submissions consistent with the broader objectives of CJLT are welcome.

Contributions are welcome from students, researchers, practitioners and academicians. Pieces published on the Blog so far have come from undergraduate and postgraduate law students across national law universities and other institutions, as well as from faculty and practitioners, indicating that the platform is open across levels of seniority.

• Submissions must be the original and unpublished work of the author or authors.
• Submissions may be in the form of articles, conceptual notes or theoretical reflections aligned with the themes of the Blog.
• The introductory paragraph or paragraphs should clearly articulate the central question, thesis or conceptual problem addressed in the submission.
• Submissions must be analytical and argumentative, rather than merely descriptive or expository.
• All references to case law, statutes, books, journal articles, philosophical texts, empirical data or other sources must be properly cited.
• Authors must follow OSCOLA (4th Edition) for endnotes, and the citation format must be uniform throughout the submission. Hyperlinking sources may be used where appropriate, but formal citation must conform to OSCOLA standards.

• Submissions should ideally be between 1,000 and 2,000 words, excluding endnotes.
• Authors are encouraged to maintain conceptual clarity and precision while remaining concise.
• The title of the submission should preferably not exceed ten words.

All submissions must be made through the designated Google Form linked on the Blog homepage. Submissions sent by email will not be considered.

• The manuscript must be uploaded in .doc or .docx format only, with a maximum file size of 10 MB.
• Authors must provide their full name, institutional or professional affiliation (if any) and year of study (if any).
• A link to an online profile such as LinkedIn, SSRN, academia.edu or a personal website may be provided if available.
• The form also asks for the title of the submission and a summary of the manuscript in not more than 100 words or four sentences, introducing the article, stating what the authors have analysed, and setting out what the article suggests.
• The form provides fields for one author and one co-author, along with their respective affiliations and years of study.

The review process ordinarily takes two to three weeks. In case of undue delay, authors may seek updates through the official CJLT email address. CJLT reserves absolute discretion to accept, reject or request revisions to any submission.

The official guidelines do not prescribe any submission, processing or publication fee, so participation is free.