Bengaluru To Sonipat, A Comprehensive Overview Of India's 23 National Law Universities

If you’re considering a legal career, it’s crucial to stay informed about National Law Universities. Admission to these institutions, affiliated with the Bar Council of India and recognised by the University Grants Commission, is challenging. Prospective students take the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) for admission to the 23 National Law Universities in the country. The exam offers entry to 3451 undergraduate and 1271 postgraduate seats across these universities.

The inception of National Law Universities dates back to 1986 when the first one, the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru (NLSIU), was established under the National Law School of India Act 1986. Following this model, numerous National Law Schools were subsequently established in various states until 2018, totalling 23 across the country. It’s worth noting that, as per UGC guidelines, the establishment of a university is typically undertaken by either the central government or a state government.

While the criteria for establishing law universities are determined by the respective government, if a state government establishes a law university, it may be designated as a National Law University. For instance, the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, was founded under the Karnataka Act 1986, and similarly, the NALSAR University of Law (The National Academy of Legal Studies and Research) was established under the Andhra Pradesh Act 1998.

Indeed, National Law Universities are predominantly established by state governments, leading to consistent government grants. Consequently, the tuition fees in these universities are generally lower compared to private or other law colleges. An interesting feature is that in many instances, the Vice Chancellors of these law universities are appointed by the Chief Justices of the respective states’ High Courts. Additionally, in some cases, this position is held by the Chief Minister of the state.

Here is a list of National Law Universities in the country along with their establishment years:

1. National Law School of India University, Bengaluru (1986)

2. NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad (1998)

3. National Law Institute University, Bhopal (1997)

4. The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata (1999)

5. National Law University, Jodhpur (1999)

6. Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur (2003)

7. Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar (2003)

8. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, Lucknow (2005)

9. Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala (2006)

10. National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi (2005)

11. Chanakya National Law University, Patna (2006)

12. National Law University, Delhi (2007)

13. Damodaram Sanjeevaya National Law University, Visakhapatnam (2008)

14. National Law University Odisha, Cuttack (2009)

15. National University of Study and Research in Law Ranchi (2010)

16. National Law School and Judicial Academy Assam, Guwahati (2009)

17. Tamil Nadu National Law School, Tiruchirappalli (2013)

18. Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai (2014)

19. Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur (2015)

20. Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla (2016)

21. Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad (2017)

22. Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur (2018)

23. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Law University, Sonipat, Haryana (2018)