Project Staff Engagement at HPNLU Shimla under the Court and Civil Liberty Project (9 Posts, Rs 25,000-1,00,000/month)

Himachal Pradesh National Law University (HPNLU), Shimla was established by the State Government in 2016 by an Act of the Legislature (Act 16 of 2016). The University is dedicated to fostering an intellectual culture that bridges theory with practice and contributing to social, cultural, economic and legal development that enhances the quality of life of people nationally and globally. The present engagement is being made through the University's Centre for Philosophy and Comparative Law Studies.

The Court and Civil Liberty Project (CCLP) is implemented by HPNLU Shimla to facilitate the realisation of the constitutional mandate of access to justice for all. Its goal is to provide free and effective legal representation to under-trial prisoners in the State of Himachal Pradesh, to facilitate their release from jail and to represent them until the completion of their cases, including appeal, review and revision where required.

Through a team of lawyers and social workers, under-trial prisoners are to be given legal, social and psychological assistance so that the civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution of India are protected. In the first year the project covers the Model Central Jail, Kanda (Shimla) and Sub-Jail Kaithu (Shimla); from the second year onwards other jails in the State, including Solan and Kullu, will be covered. The geographical scope of the project is the State of Himachal Pradesh and its tenure runs from 01 July 2026 to 30 June 2029.

• Project Coordinator - 01 post (UR), Rs 1,00,000 per month
• Project Fellow (Legal) - 03 posts (UR), Rs 40,000 per month
• Project Fellow (Social Work) - 03 posts, Rs 40,000 per month
• Project Office Manager and Court Clerk - 01 post, Rs 40,500 per month
• Project Accountant - 01 post, Rs 25,000 per month

All five posts are contractual in nature and all posts advertised are unreserved (UR).

Project Coordinator (mandatory): Master's in Law (LL.M.); 3-5 years of working experience of practice in court; a registered licence with the Bar Council of the State of Himachal Pradesh; proficiency in Hindi and English. Desired: proficiency in computers and MS Office and Management Information System; experience of working in the field of the criminal justice system, especially prisons and representation in such matters before courts; experience of working with projects implemented by international or national organisations; exemplary interventions in the field of legal or social work represented by past work.

Project Fellow - Legal (mandatory): Graduate in Law; proficiency in Hindi and English; proficiency in computers; a registered licence with the Bar Council of the State of Himachal Pradesh with litigation experience. Desired: Master's in Law; experience of working in the offices of a lawyer; proficiency in MS Office and Management Information System; experience of working with projects implemented by international or national organisations.

Project Fellow - Social Work (mandatory): Graduate in Social Science, Social Work or Sociology; proficiency in Hindi and English; proficiency in computers; experience in the area of legal aid or assistance through social work. Desired: Master's in Social Science, Social Work or Sociology; experience of working in the offices of NGOs in this area; proficiency in MS Office and Management Information System; experience of working with projects implemented by international or national organisations.

Project Office Manager and Court Clerk (mandatory): Graduate from any discipline; 1-3 years minimum working experience of file management and case filing in the courts of law in the State of Himachal Pradesh; proficiency in Hindi and English; proficiency in computers. Desired: experience of working in the offices of a criminal law lawyer; proficiency in MS Office and Management Information System.

Project Accountant (mandatory): Graduate in Commerce (B.Com.); 1-3 years minimum working experience of accounting, along with experience of file management and financial management; proficiency in Hindi and English; proficiency in computers. Desired: three years' work experience and proficiency in MS Office and Management Information System.

The Project Coordinator liaises with the Prison Department, Department of Social Justice, State and District Legal Services Authorities, the HP State Women Commission and the HP State Human Rights Commission, appears before courts as legal counsel in project matters including appeals, supervises the financial and administrative aspects of the project, develops training modules for stakeholders and project staff, and ensures compliance with project deadlines and reporting.

Project Fellows (Legal) visit prisons, identify under-trial prisoners who need legal aid from the DLSA and help them apply, appear before courts along with the Coordinator, conduct home visits and collect socio-economic data, ensure timely filing of documents and coordinate with government agencies. Project Fellows (Social Work) carry out the prison visits, one-to-one hand-holding, home visits, data collection and coordination work on the social side. The Office Manager and Court Clerk handles file management, record-keeping of case progress and timely court filings, while the Accountant maintains the accounts and financial records and the utilisation of project funds.

All posts are a purely contractual full-time engagement for the purposes of the project. The appointee must not accept any other employment, part-time or full-time, nor engage in any other practice, including lawyering or consultancy, during the period of engagement. The seat of employment is HPNLU Shimla, District Shimla. The tenure is one year with the scope of renewal of the contract for further year(s) based on a performance report.

The position is contractual and does not entail any relationship with, or claim against, HPNLU Shimla with respect to employment; the University is the facilitator for project implementation. Incomplete application forms will be rejected outright. The University reserves the right to fill or not to fill any post and to shortlist applicants on specific criteria and call a limited number for interview. No TA or DA is admissible for attending the recruitment process. The selection process follows the rules of HPNLU Shimla and, in case of conflict, the HPNLU Policy for Sponsored Research Project and Consultancy, 2026.

All applications must be submitted through the University's ERP portal. New applicants register at the employee applicant registration page and existing users log in with their credentials. Candidates are required to upload their testimonials, work experience certificates and other documents on the ERP portal and pay the requisite application fee through the portal.

The application fee is Rs 1,000 for the Project Coordinator post and Rs 500 for each of the other posts. No application will be sent or filed by email or post. The advertisement is Advertisement No. 22-2/22/HPNLU/CCPL/106 dated 31 July 2026. All further communication regarding the recruitment will be through the University website, so candidates should keep checking it. Applications close on 14 August 2026 at 2359 hours.