What would it mean to reimagine the courtroom from the perspective of more-than-human life? The Courts of the Living Competition invites law students to step into ecological conflicts, arguing how legal paradigms might be reshaped so law can create the conditions for all life to flourish. Informed by the Sundarbans, the competition takes place in Kolkata in February, 2027.
1. Your team must have 3 members.
2. Every member on the team must be enrolled at the same law school in India.
3. Members can comprise a mix of years. For example, a first-year and a fourth-year student can be on the same team.
4. Undergraduate & LLM students also equally are eligible to participate. A team may have any combination of these students.
5. Any number of teams may apply from one law school. There is no cap on the number of applications from a college.
6. If your law school has an internal policy or selection process governing participation in external competitions, that policy will apply. Courts of the Living does not impose any additional institutional cap or selection requirement, but we will defer to any restrictions or procedures formally prescribed by your law school.
7. A student must only be part of one team.
8. Every applying team must name one faculty sponsor. The role of the faculty sponsor is straightforward. They only need to attest that all team members are enrolled at the same law school.
9. There is no application fee at any stage of the competition
10. Registrations close on 22nd September 2026 at 11:59 pm IST.
