The India Legal Research Foundation (ILRF) is making a call for papers in the form of research articles, short articles and essays, case comments, and legislative or policy comments for the Journal of Legal Research by ILRF (ISSN 3139-7107 (Online)) — a peer-reviewed, monthly, online journal published by ILRF.
Important Links
Submission Form: https://www.ilrf.in/journal/submissions
Submission Guidelines: https://www.ilrf.in/journal/guidelines
Journal Page: https://www.ilrf.in/journal
Queries: publications@ilrf.in
About the Journal
The Journal of Legal Research by ILRF | ISSN 3139-7107 (Online) is a scholarly platform dedicated to encouraging rigorous legal research and meaningful academic dialogue at both the national and international level. It publishes original and analytical work on contemporary legal issues, doctrinal developments, public policy, and emerging areas of law.
The Journal is committed to promoting critical thinking, doctrinal analysis, and interdisciplinary scholarship, and to fostering engagement among students, researchers, academicians, legal practitioners, and policy professionals.
Publication Details
Every manuscript is screened by the editorial board and thereafter peer reviewed. There is no submission, processing, or publication fee at any stage.
Eligibility
The call is open to:
Single-authored and co-authored submissions are accepted, with a maximum of two authors per manuscript.
Academicians, research scholars, advocates and students are requested to circulate this call among their faculties, colleagues and research groups.
About the Publisher
The India Legal Research Foundation (ILRF) is a legal research and policy think tank working across access to justice and legal research, capacity building, and legal awareness. The Journal of Legal Research by ILRF is its flagship monthly, peer-reviewed publication.
Theme
The Journal does not restrict itself to a single theme. It welcomes scholarly work addressing contemporary legal issues, doctrinal developments, comparative legal analysis, public policy concerns, and interdisciplinary legal studies.
Sub-Themes
-
Constitutional and Administrative Law
-
Criminal Law and Criminal Justice
-
Corporate, Commercial and Insolvency Law
-
Technology, Data Protection and Artificial Intelligence Regulation
-
International Law, Trade Law and Cross-border Disputes
-
Environmental Law and Climate Governance
-
Human Rights, Gender and Social Justice
-
Arbitration, Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution
-
Family Law, Personal Laws and Matrimonial Disputes
-
Labour, Employment and Social Security Law
-
Intellectual Property Law
-
Taxation, Banking and Financial Regulation
-
Access to Justice, Legal Aid and Judicial Reform
-
Emerging areas of legal policy and governance
Note: The above sub-themes are only illustrative. The editorial board welcomes manuscripts on any contemporary legal issue falling within the scope of the Journal. Papers with original data, close statutory reading, case analysis, empirical surveys, or a critical approach will be given particular preference.
Categories of Submission and Word Limits
Submission Guidelines
-
All manuscripts should be prepared in English only.
-
Please use Times New Roman:
-
The paper should be A4 (Portrait) and submitted in MS Word (.doc / .docx) format.
-
All margins (Left/Right/Top/Bottom) should be 1 inch (2.5 cm).
-
Use 1.5 line spacing for the main text and single spacing for footnotes.
-
Use justified alignment.
-
Page numbers should not be inserted.
-
The manuscript must be structured using clear headings and subheadings, for example:
Every manuscript must include a separate cover page as the first page, containing:
-
Title
-
Author name
-
Institution or university
-
Academic year or designation
-
E-mail ID
-
Contact number
-
LinkedIn and Instagram handles (for credits)
-
AI disclosure statement
Immediately after the cover page, the manuscript must carry an abstract page in the following order:
-
Title of the manuscript
-
AI disclosure statement
-
Abstract of 150—250 words, stating the research issue, methodology or approach, and key arguments or findings
-
4—6 keywords
Use footnotes in a uniform Bluebook (latest edition) citation style throughout, and no endnotes. Authors should ensure accurate citation of case law, statutes, books, journal articles and online sources, and must include the date of last access for web sources.
Excessive citation should be avoided. Footnotes should support the argument rather than overwhelm the main text.
The paper should be an original and unpublished contribution. It must not have been published in any journal, blog or online platform, and must not be simultaneously submitted elsewhere for consideration.
All manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening. Similarity exceeding approximately 10—12 per cent (excluding citations and commonly used legal terminology) may lead to rejection or return for revision.
Authors may use AI tools only for limited assistance such as grammar, language clarity, organising notes or formatting citations. AI tools must not be used to generate legal analysis, case law interpretation, conclusions, policy recommendations, or entire sections. Any use of AI must be disclosed on the cover page.
Authors are solely responsible for ensuring that all citations are accurate and not fabricated. The editorial board reserves the right to verify citations and references during review.
The editorial board reserves the right to make minor editorial changes to improve clarity, grammar and formatting. Substantive changes will always be communicated to the author.
All rights relating to the selection of manuscripts are reserved by the editorial board.
Detailed Guidelines: https://www.ilrf.in/journal/guidelines
Review Timeline
-
Acknowledgment of submission: Same day
-
Initial editorial decision: Within 7 working days
-
Final review decision: Within 30 days
The Journal follows rolling submissions. Manuscripts accepted and finalised by the 20th of a month are ordinarily carried in the following month’s edition; manuscripts received thereafter are considered for the next available edition.
Rewards and Benefits
Paper of the Month
The editorial board selects one paper each month, judged on:
Prize Money
The author(s) of the paper selected for “Paper of the Month” will receive a cash prize of ₹5,100 (Rupees Five Thousand One Hundred only).
Feature and Promotion
The selected paper is featured and promoted on the official website and digital platforms of the India Legal Research Foundation.
Author Recognition
The author(s) of the awarded paper may also receive a certificate of recognition from ILRF. The decision of the editorial board is final and binding.
All authors published in the Journal receive a soft copy of the edition carrying their paper, with an ISSN-bearing citation.
How to Submit?
All manuscripts must be submitted through the official online submission form:
https://www.ilrf.in/journal/submissions
The submission form is also accessible from the Journal page:
Manuscripts sent by e-mail will not be considered.
The submission form will require:
-
Category of submission
-
Author full name
-
E-mail address
-
Mobile number
-
Manuscript upload
Upload the manuscript through the form as a single MS Word (.doc / .docx) file, named:
“Author Name — Category — Title”
The cover page and abstract page must be included in the same file.
Please note that no submission, registration or publication charge is levied at any stage.
Authors are requested to read the detailed submission guidelines before submitting:
https://www.ilrf.in/journal/guidelines
Contact Information
For queries, write to publications@ilrf.in or visit ilrf.in.