5-Year B.A., LL.B. (Hons.)

Our five-year integrated undergraduate B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) degree programme offers students training in a range of legal and non-legal subjects. NLSIU pioneered this five-year programme in India with the intention to provide a strong foundation upon which students can choose to pursue professional options or further academic opportunities. The first cohort of this programme was admitted in 1988.

Admission to the B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) degree programme is purely on the basis of merit as assessed through a Common Law Admission Test conducted for the purpose. Classes usually begin on 1st July every year.

Teaching Methodology

The teaching methods adopted for the degree programme are such as to promote multi-disciplinary inquiry and practical appreciation of problems. This involves lectures, discussions, case studies, Moot Courts and project work.

This is particularly useful for the multidisciplinary analysis of socio-legal problems. There is a high degree of interaction between the students and the teachers in the classroom. This is largely facilitated by the fact that at the commencement of the trimester, each student is given a set of reading materials containing the course outline, teaching plan, reading lists and study materials in respect of each course. Mandatory readings include case studies, judicial decisions, articles and excerpts from reports. With this material, the students are expected to come prepared for the classes and actively participate in classroom discussions.

Beyond exchanges between students and faculty in the classroom, there are more formal means of communication aimed at improving the class experience and student life. At the end of each trimester, students are expected to complete an evaluation of the courses undertaken by them in that trimester. Projects are another component of each course that requires both literature survey and field investigations. These methods are designed to improve research skills, analytical abilities as well as communication skills of students.

NLSIU accepts students from the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) for admission to its undergraduate B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) programme. Admission to this 5-year programme is purely on the basis of merit as assessed through the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) administered by the Consortium of NLUs.

Admission Notifications for AY 2025-26

• Modification of Intake – 5-year B.A.,LL.B.(Hons) Programme for Academic Year 2025-26 
• Admission Notification – First Allotment List for Academic Year 2025-26
• Update on Admission Notification (Dec 23, 2024)

Eligibility

• A Pass in 10+2 or an equivalent examination with a minimum of:
  (i) Forty Five percent (45%) of marks or its equivalent grade in case of candidates belonging to General/OBC/PWD categories and
  (ii) Forty percent (40%) of marks or equivalent in case of candidates belonging to SC/ST categories.
• The candidate will have to appear for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) to secure admission to the programme
• Candidates appearing for the qualifying examination in the year of admission are also permitted to take the Admission Test, but their admission to the course shall be subject to their fulfilling the conditions stipulated in the Regulations and producing supporting documentary evidence at the time of admission.
• There is no upper age limit for the UG Programme.
• The University reserves the right to cancel the admission of any candidate in accordance with the Rules.

International Students

Candidates can apply for the NLSAT – International Examination for “international student” category, if they are a citizen of a country other than India.

Admission notification for Academic Year 2025-26 is released! For more details, click here.
International students may apply through internationaladmissions.nls.ac.in on or before March 30, 2025.

Intake and Reservation for AY 2025-26

The total intake capacity shall be 310 (Three Hundred and Ten) students for AY 2025-26. Seats shall be reserved as follows:

Seat Matrix

1. Fifteen (15) seats comprising 5% of the total intake shall be reserved horizontally for Persons with Disabilities (PWD).
2. Ninety (90) seats comprising 30% of the total intake shall be reserved horizontally for Women. 
3. Seventy-five (75) seats comprising 25% of the total intake shall be reserved horizontally (compartmentalised) for Karnataka Students*. 
4. The ten (10) seats for Karnataka Students shall be allotted as per the entrance examination merit list. 
5. All required certificates and supporting documents shall have to be submitted to the University at the time of counselling. 

* Karnataka Students Category:

(i) Candidates who have studied for not less than 10 years in a recognized educational institution in Karnataka shall be eligible to be considered as ‘Karnataka Students.’

(ii) Candidates who have not completed ten years of study in Karnataka shall be eligible to apply under the Karnataka Students category if they fall under any of the below categories:

1. Children of defence personnel/ex-servicemen, who at the time of joining service, have declared their hometown to be in the State of Karnataka, and who have served or are serving outside Karnataka, corresponding to the candidate’s years of study outside Karnataka.

2. Children of employees of the Karnataka State Government who have served or are serving outside Karnataka corresponding to the candidate’s years of study outside Karnataka.

3. Children of serving or retired employees belonging to the Karnataka cadre of the All India Services (IAS/IFS/IPS), who have served or are serving outside Karnataka corresponding to the candidate’s years of study outside Karnataka.

4. Children of working or retired employees in the Central Armed Police Force service, who upon joining service declared their hometown to be in the State of Karnataka, and who have served or are serving outside Karnataka, corresponding to the candidate’s years of study outside Karnataka.

Illustration: If the candidate has studied in Karnataka for three (3) years, they must prove that their parent/s were serving outside Karnataka for at least seven (7) years corresponding to their own period of study outside Karnataka.

If the candidate has not studied in Karnataka continuously for at least one (1) year, they must prove that their parent/s were serving outside Karnataka for at least ten (10) years corresponding to their own period of study outside Karnataka.

(iii) Eligible candidates must keep their Study Certificates issued by their School/s and other relevant documents ready to be submitted at the time of counselling/admission.

For further queries related to NLSIU’s BA LLB (Hons) programme, write to admissions@nls.ac.in

The duration of the programme shall be for a period of five academic years. Each academic year is divided into three “trimesters”. The academic terms will be announced in advance each year and will ordinarily be between July-September, November-January and March-June.

The University has revised the academic curriculum for the B.A., LL.B (Hons.) programme keeping in mind the following objectives:

• Introduction of a dissertation allowing for advanced legal research and writing in an area of a student’s interest for 5th Year class;
• Increase in the number of elective courses for students of 4th and 5th years;
• Updating the curriculum in tune with the requirements of current legal practice;
• Increasing the number of clinical courses in the programme.

Course Curriculum | Batch of 2025-2030

To view the proposed course curriculum for the batch of 2025-2030, click here.

Course Curriculum | Batch of 2022-2027

Note: Please note, there may be variations in the course curriculum for the previous batches.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Academic Calendar for A.Y. 2024-25 | Trimester III (March 2025 – May 2025)

*This date is subject to change depending on final holiday list from the University.

Fee Structure for the Academic Year 2025-26 (First Year Students)

Admission fee (one time) – Rs. 13,000/-
Tuition and Facilities fee – Rs. 2,96,000/- p.a.
Housing fee (optional) – Rs. 1,23,500/- p.a.
Total fee per annum – Rs. 4,32,500/-

One Time Refundable Deposit:
Refundable deposit for SC/ST category students – Rs. 17,500/-
Refundable deposit for other students – Rs. 22,000/-

The total amount payable by SC/ST category students is Rs. 4,50,000.
The total amount payable by other students is Rs. 4,54,500.

NOTE:
* Fees mentioned above are provisional and subject to ratification by the University Governing Bodies.
* Housing Fee includes meal plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner and an evening snack.
* Day scholars may opt for meal plan at Rs. 74,500 (Mess Fee) per annum. The meal plan includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and an evening snack.
* Refundable deposit will be refunded either upon graduation or admission withdrawal. The refund will be subject to the deduction of applicable convocation fees, fees for issue of certificates, and other outstanding dues, if any.

Financial Aid

The University offers means-based scholarships. To know more about NLSIU’s financial aid options for students, click here. 

Fee Structure for International Students for the Academic Year 2025-26

Admission fee (one time) – Rs. 39,000/-
Tuition and facilities fee – Rs. 8,88,000/- p.a.
Housing fee (optional) – Rs. 1,23,500/- p.a.
Total fee per annum – Rs. 10,50,500/-

One Time Refundable Deposit
Refundable deposits – Rs. 66,000/-
The total amount payable at the time of admission, by international students is Rs. 11,16,500/-.

Note:
* Fees mentioned above are provisional and subject to ratification by the University Governing Bodies.
* Housing fee includes meal plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner and an evening snack.
* Day scholars may opt for meal plan at Rs. 74,500 (Mess Fee) per annum. The meal plan includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and an evening snack.
* Refundable deposit will be refunded either upon graduation or admission withdrawal. The refund will be subject to the deduction of applicable convocation fees, fees for the issue of certificates, and other outstanding dues, if any.

Mr. Tashi Gyalpo, Founder and Attorney-at-law, Tashi Legal Eagles, Bhutan | NLS BA LLB 2001

Ms. Sonam Deki Retty, Senior Attorney, Office of the Attorney General, Bhutan | NLS BA LLB 2014

Akshay Bhan | BA LLB 1998

Senior Advocate Akshay Bhan talks about how , beyond the academics, his interactions with peers and alumni at NLSIU, helped shape his professional path.

Anjum Rosha | BA LLB 2006

Listen to our alumna Anjum Rosha Counsel at the International Monetary Fund, talk about how her time at NLSIU unlocked her curiosity and opportunities for professional growth!

Gowthaman Ranganathan | BA LLB 2010

Gowthaman Ranganathan is a Human Rights lawyer who is currently pursuing his PhD in Socio-cultural anthropology at Brandeis University. Listen to him talk about how his NLS journey trained him to see the everyday operations of the law, a training he draws from as an anthropologist even today.