Research Associate at the Citizenship and Immigration Law Clinic, NLSIU Bengaluru (1 Vacancy, Full-time Contractual, 1 Year)

The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) is a national law university established at Bengaluru, Karnataka. Its campus is located at Gnana Bharathi Main Road, Nagarabhavi, Bengaluru. The University runs undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in law, along with research centres, chairs and legal aid clinics that combine clinical legal education with law and policy research.

The Citizenship and Immigration Law Clinic seeks to provide legal assistance in cases under the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, and allied legislation, and to conduct law and policy research in this area. The Clinic will be led by faculty and legal professionals experienced in research and practice in the fields of citizenship and immigration law.

The Clinic focuses on expanding legal aid in citizenship and immigration matters by providing legal representation and advice to individuals in cases of citizenship determination, asylum and refugee status, deportation, and detention. Wherever possible, it will work closely with authorities under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.

The Clinic will also deliver academic courses for credit, in which students work on assigned cases under close supervision of consultant advocates and clinic leadership and learn litigation strategy, drafting and legal research. Its research work aims to identify areas of policy reform in citizenship and immigration law in India. The Clinic's activities will begin in the states of Karnataka and Assam in the first year and expand to other states thereafter.

NLSIU invites applications for a full-time (contractual) role of Research Associate, based at the NLSIU campus in Bengaluru, for a period of one year, extendable based on performance, for the Citizenship and Immigration Law Clinic. One vacancy is advertised.

The Research Associate will execute the groundwork for the Clinic's research projects, including critical legal resources and empirical studies on citizenship and immigration law in India. The role involves travel to tentative research sites to gather data.

• Contribute to the Citizenship Clinic's research agenda.
• Engage in data collection for all research activities.
• Assist in researching and drafting research outputs.
• Assist the Clinic in preparing legal briefs on important developments in citizenship and immigration law.
• Maintain records of research outputs and coordinate with partner lawyers for case data.
• Regularly publish research-based writing on citizenship and immigration law in India.

Essential:

• Bachelor's degree in law.
• 1-3 years of research or practice experience in Citizenship and Immigration Law.
• Excellent writing and editing skills.

Desirable:

• Master's degree in law or allied disciplines.

• Nature of engagement: Full-time, contractual.
• Tenure: One year, extendable based on performance.
• Location: NLSIU campus, Bengaluru, Karnataka, with travel to research sites.
• Vacancies: 1.
• Compensation: Salary will be commensurate with qualifications, experience and University norms. The notification does not state a figure.

Applications are accepted only through the Google form linked by the University. There is no application fee. A Gmail account is required to attach the supporting documents, and the form can be submitted only once by any applicant. The University estimates that completing the application takes about 30 minutes.

Applicants must include the following documents:

• An updated CV.
• A statement of purpose of 500 words outlining the applicant's vision for the Clinic and suitability for the role.
• Names, designations and contact details of two professional or academic referees.

The last date for submission of applications is 1 September 2026, 5:00 PM (IST). For any queries regarding the position, applicants may write to recruitment@nls.ac.in.