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NALSAR UNIVERSITY OF LAW

Accredited in 'A++' grade with a score of 3.52 on a four point scale by NAAC in Cycle 2

Sidharth Chauhan

Sidharth Chauhan holds a bachelor's degree in law from the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore (July 2003–June 2008). After that, he served as a Law Clerk to the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan (as he then was) at the Supreme Court of India, New Delhi (July 2008-May 2010). Subsequently, he completed the LL.M. programme at the University of Pennsylvania (August 2010-May 2011) where he concentrated on coursework in Legal Philosophy and Constitutional Law. The next step was a teaching stint at NLSIU Bangalore (July 2011-February 2013), after which he joined NALSAR Hyderabad as an Assistant Professor in June 2013. 
Apart from his teaching responsibilities, he is part of administrative committees that facilitate the institution's public education initiatives and international exchange programmes. He is the faculty advisor for the NALSAR Public Policy Lecture Series (started in September 2015), the Lecture Series on Constitutionalism (started in August 2016) and the NALSAR Student Law Review (since AY 2017-2018).  

 

• Pursuing a Ph.D. at NALSAR since 2015; The working title of the dissertation is ‘Juridical Engagement with Electoral Reservations in India'. 
• LL.M. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia (2011).   
• B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) from the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore (2008).

Areas of Interest: Political Philosophy, Indian Constitutional Law, Judicial Behaviour, Legal Education, Law and the Humanities   

  • Co-Investigator in a research project titled ‘A Study to Create Evidence-Based Proposals for the Reform of Legal Education in India’ which is being supported by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India (sanctioned in May 2016). So far, we have submitted a report examinining the working of the National Law Universities (NLUs). In the next phase, we will be submitting a report that looks at the working of a broader sampling of institutions engaged in delivering legal education.  
  • Co-Investigator in a research project titled 'Six Decades of the Supreme Court of India – An Empirical Study' (November 2017-October 2018) which is being supported by private contributors. 

Research Affiliations: 

  • Centre for Constitutional Law, Policy and Good Governance, NALSAR (Assistant Co-ordinator) ; 
  • M.K. Nambyar Centre for Advanced Legal Studies, NALSAR (Assistant Co-ordinator);
  • Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, New Delhi & Bangalore (Associate Fellow).
Articles & Book Chapters     
  • ‘Legislature: Privileges and Process’ in Sujit Choudhry, Madhav Khosla and Pratap Bhanu Mehta (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the Indian Constitution (Oxford University Press, 2016), pp. 290-306. ISBN 9780198704898. 
  • ‘Bicameralism: Comparative Insights and Lessons’, Vol. 642 Seminar, pp. 42-48 (February 2013), ISSN 0971-6742.
  • ‘Representations of the Indian Emergency in Popular Fiction’, Vol. 5 Socio-Legal Review, pp. 40-67 (July 2009), ISSN 0973-5216. 
 
Reports 
  • Faizan Mustafa, Jagteshwar Singh Sohi, Sidharth Chauhan, Sudhanshu Kumar and Vaibhav Ganjiwale, 'Suggestions for Reforms at the National Law Universities set-up through State Legislations' (Submitted to the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India in February 2018)  
 
Short Articles and Opinion Pieces   
• 'A Cathartic Episode for the Higher Judiciary in India', Live Law (January 14, 2018). 
• ‘Why the Patiala House lawyers will resort to violence again and again’, Quartz India (February 18, 2016). 
• ‘Assessing Teacher Performance in the Law Schools: Problems and Prospects’, Bar & Bench (August 20, 2013).
•  ‘Misunderstood Relationship (between the Courts and the Press), Frontline Magazine (April 20-May 3, 2013).
•  ‘The case for recording court proceedings’, Bar & Bench (March 22, 2013). 
•  ‘Watching the Justices’, Critical Twenties (September 24, 2012).
•  ‘Clerkships in the Indian Supreme Court: Some Reflections and Suggestions’, Bar & Bench (April 20, 2012). 
•  ‘Why Book Piracy matters?’, Critical Twenties (January 26, 2011). 
•  ‘The Binayak Sen Case: An Anomaly?’, Critical Twenties (January 4, 2011). 
•  ‘To Catch a Thief’, The Indian Express (May 24, 2010).
 
Reviewer during pre-publication stage for the following books:
 
  • Edward S. Inch & Kristen H. Tudor, Critical Thinking and Communication – The Use of Reason in Argument, 7th edn. (Pearson Education Inc., 2015), ISBN 9781292058825. 
  • M. Neil Browne & Stuart M. Keeley, Asking the Right Questions – A Guide to Critical Thinking, 11th edn. (Pearson Education Inc., 2015)  ISBN 9781292068701. 
  • Robert J. Rufus, Laura Savory Miller & William Hahn, Forensic Accounting (Pearson Education Inc., 2014) ISBN 9781292059372.  Click here   
 
 

 

Paper Presentations

  • Made a presentation titled ‘Designing English courses for a Law School Curriculum’ as part of an English Language Teachers’ Association of India (ELTAI) Conference hosted by Vasavi College of Engineering, Hyderabad on June 30, 2016.
  • Presented a draft for a chapter on ‘Legislative Privileges’ at a workshop organised by the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), New Delhi on July 17-20, 2014. This led to the publication of The Oxford Handbook of the Indian Constitution in March 2016. 
  • Presented a paper titled ‘Courts and The Press: A Misunderstood Relationship’ at the 2nd Public Law Symposium organised by the National Law School of India Review (NLSIR) at NLSIU, Bangalore on December 22, 2012.
  • Presented a paper on ‘Appointments in the High Courts: The current debate’ at the 1st Conference on Law, Governance and Development organised by the Azim Premji University (APU), Bangalore on May 18-19, 2012. Recording available at the following link:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEezHmjFAr8>

Training Programmes

  • Resource person for sessions on ‘Legal Drafting Skills’ as part of a training programme for executives of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) which was organised by NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad (5 sessions spread between June-August 2015). 
  • Resource person for sessions as part of a ‘Legal Literacy Programme’ for undergraduate students at St. Joseph’s College of Arts and Sciences, Bangalore in November 2011 and November 2012 respectively.

Lectures Delivered

  • Guest talk titled 'Understanding the Capacity Constraints of the Indian Judicial System' for the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS) Hyderabad (August 8, 2018). Recording available at the following link:<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ_OU167dMY>
  •  Invited speaker in a public debate on the theme ‘This house believes that present-day India is a rule of law State’, organised by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi (December 22, 2017). Recording available at the following link:<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68OOGktXpLI>
  • Guest talk on ‘The significance of public speaking and argumentation’ at Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad (July 22, 2017).
  • Guest talk on ‘The Rawlsian Principle of Fairplay and the question of Caste-based Discrimination in India’ at Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad (April 8, 2017).
  • Conducted a session on ‘The Role of National Human Rights Institutions’ for serving personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the National Industrial Security Academy (NISA) located in Hakimpet, Hyderabad (August 1, 2016).
  • Guest talk on ‘Examining the Connections between Law and Literature’ at the invitation of the Student Initiative for Promotion of Legal Awareness (SIPLA) at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore (May 3, 2016).

Organisational Responsibilities

  • Assistant Coordinator for an International Conference titled ‘Peace, Stability and Sustainable Development: The Role of Religion’ organised by NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad in collaboration with the International Center for Law and Religion, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University (Utah, United States of America) on January 13-15, 2017.
  • Member of the Steering Committee for the 4th edition of the Law and Social Sciences Research Network (LASSNET) conference held in New Delhi between December 10-12, 2016. Designated as a discussant for a panel titled ‘Numerical Narratives as Evidence before the Courts’.
  • Programme Coordinator for an International Workshop titled ‘South Asian Legal History: Beyond Boundaries’ organised by NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for European Legal History (Frankfurt, Germany) on December 7-8, 2016.
  • Local coordinator for a short course titled ‘Personhood and Technology: Rethinking what it means to be human in the 21st century’ taught by Prof. Gerard Quinn (National University of Ireland, Galway) at the NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad between October 4-12, 2016. This course was organised under the aegis of the Global Initiative for Academic Networks (GIAN) which is supported by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. 
  • Programme Coordinator for a National Workshop on ‘Unlocking Urban Land for Growth’, organised at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad with the support of the World Bank Office, New Delhi on July 9-10, 2015.
  • Programme Coordinator for a short course on International Finance and Corporate Laws (IFCC) organised by Allen & Overy LLP (London, United Kingdom) at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad on March 13-15, 2015. 
  • Panel Moderator as part of a two-day conclave on 'Gender Sensitization at the Workplace' organised by the Centre for Management Studies (CMS), NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad on February 15-16, 2014. 
  • Panel Moderator as part of a two-day seminar on 'Hate Speech and Social Media' hosted by NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad on January 4-5, 2014. 
  • Programme Coordinator for a National Workshop on ‘Teaching Media Law’ organised by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore in collaboration with the Alternative Law Forum (ALF), Bangalore and the Centre for Communication, Media and Governance (CCMG), Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi on April 24-25, 2012.
  • Panel Moderator as part of a consultation on the National Food Security Bill organised by the Centre for the Child and Law (CCL), NLSIU Bangalore on December 20-21, 2011.
  •  Panel Moderator as part of the 1st Public Law Symposium organised by the National Law School of India Review (NLSIR) at NLSIU, Bangalore on December 10, 2011. 

COURSES

Courses being taught at present:

  • Constitutional Law I (Fundamental Rights) - 3rd year, B.A., LL.B.
  • Constitutional Law II (Structures of Governance) - 3rd year, B.A., LL.B.
  • 'Judicial Process and Statutory Interpretation’ - Elective course .
  • ‘Political Obligations’ - Elective course.  
  • ‘Comparative Public Law & Systems of Governance’ (co-taught) – LL.M. 
  • ‘Research Methods & Legal Writing’ (co-taught) – LL.M.

 

Courses taught in previous academic years

  • 'Law and Language - 1st year, B.A., LL.B.
  • ‘Law and Literature’ -2nd year, B.A., LL.B. 
  • ‘Legal Methods’ – 1st year, B.A., LL.B. 
  • ‘Interdisciplinary Studies on the Indian Legal System’ - Seminar course. 
  • ‘Law, Business and Society – 1st year, M.B.A.
  • 'Approaches to Public Argumentation' – Elective course. 
CONTACT

Official Email: [email protected] 

Personal Email: [email protected] 

Phone : 8374620914