About the Organisation
The competition is organised by the Centre for Excellence in Legal Writing (CELW), IILM School of Law, Gurugram. CELW aims to enhance legal writing, research, and analytical skills among law students by promoting academic excellence, critical inquiry, and structured legal scholarship.
About the Event
CELW, IILM School of Law, Gurugram is organising the Essay Writing Competition, 2026 to encourage critical engagement with contemporary legal issues surrounding artificial intelligence, governance, and accountability. The competition invites original, research-oriented essays examining AI’s legal, constitutional, and international law implications.
Eligibility
The competition is open to students and research scholars interested in legal research and academic writing.
Theme
“Artificial Intelligence and the Law: Rights, Accountability, and the Algorithmic State”
Submission Categories (Sub-Themes)
Participants may write on any of the following sub-themes:
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Algorithmic bias, discrimination, and AI-driven pricing
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Predictive policing and constitutional privacy rights
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AI in judicial decision-making and due process
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Data protection law and cross-border data governance
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Military AI, autonomous weapons, and international humanitarian law
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Corporate liability for AI harms and monopolistic practices
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Global regulatory frameworks (EU AI Act, OECD, UN initiatives)
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AI image modification, deepfakes, and privacy rights
Prizes
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First Prize: ₹11,000
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Second Prize: ₹6,000
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E-Certificates to all participants
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Internship opportunities for position holders
Formatting Guidelines
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Font: Times New Roman
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Font Size: 12
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Line Spacing: 1.5
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Alignment: Justified
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Margins: 1 inch on all sides
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Paragraph indentation: 0.5 inches (first line)
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File format: PDF only
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File name: [Participant Name]_EssayTitle.pdf
Selection Guidelines (Evaluation Criteria)
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Creativity and Originality — 25%
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Content Relevance & Clarity — 25%
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Adherence to the Theme — 20%
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Grammar and Presentation — 20%
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Overall Quality — 10%
Submission Guidelines
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Word limit: 2000—2500 words (excluding references)
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Citation style: APA Style
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Only one submission per participant
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No personal identifiers in the essay
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Essays may be published by the organisers with due acknowledgment
Registration and Submission Deadline (Important Dates)
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Last date for submission: 13 March 2026, 11:59 PM (IST)
Registration Fees
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No registration fee mentioned in the brochure.
Registration Process
Participants are required to register and submit their essays through the official Google Form provided by the organisers.
Submission Procedure
Essays must be submitted in PDF format via the official Google Form link or QR code before the deadline. Submissions are subject to plagiarism and AI-detection checks (maximum similarity allowed: 10%).
Contact Information
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Dr. Archna Sehrawat (Faculty Convenor, CELW): Archna.sherawat@iilm.edu
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Ms. Harshita Jain (Faculty Convenor, CELW): Harshita.jain@iilm.edu
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Ms. Palak Yadav (Student Convenor): 8368435653
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Ms. Suhani Bhatia (Student Co-Convenor): 7521078857
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Ms. Tashvi Malhotra (Student Co-Convenor): 8178267294