Courts of the Living Competition 2026–27

The Courts of the Living Competition 2026–27 is a prestigious national competition designed for law students across India to engage with real ecological conflicts, rethink traditional legal paradigms, and explore pathways through which law can help all life flourish.

Eligibility Criteria

• Each team must consist of 3 members enrolled at the same law school in India.
• Members may belong to different academic years.
• Both undergraduate (LL.B.) and postgraduate (LL.M.) students are eligible to participate in any team combination.
• There is no cap on the number of teams applying from a single law school.
• A student may be part of only one team.
• Every team must nominate one faculty sponsor (whose role is limited to attesting team enrollment at the same institution).
• Application Fee: ₹0 (There is no application fee at any stage).

Competition Timeline & Stages

• Stage 1 – Registrations: Applications open from September 2, 2026. Registration deadline is September 22, 2026, at 11:59 PM IST.
• Stage 2 – Build Field Dossier: 50 invited teams will map living conflicts of coexistence starting October 13, 2026.
• Stage 3 – Problem Statement Release: The top 16 teams will receive the problem statement during November–December 2026.
• Stage 4 – Finals in Kolkata: The top 16 teams will convene in Kolkata for in-person oral arguments in late February 2027.

Prizes & Awards

• Courts of the Living Excellence Prize: ₹1,00,000 for the Winning Team and ₹50,000 for the Runner-up Team.
• Campus Commons Awards: Up to ₹30,000 for selected teams to launch student-led initiatives within their law schools.
• Living Practice Awards: Up to ₹30,000 for selected teams to translate field insights into specific place-based action.
• Courts of the Living Emerging Practitioners: 6 months of pathway mapping, curated introductions, mentorship, and network access.

Registration Process

Eligible law teams can register online for free by completing the application form available via the official registration link prior to the deadline on September 22, 2026.