HNLU Launches First Cohort Of विधि सारथी – Justice Connect Litigation Fellowship

The fellowship is being implemented across five districts of Chhattisgarh—Bilaspur, Raipur, Rajnandgaon, Durg and Baloda Bazar—with a focus on providing pro bono legal services to underserved communities.

HNLU organised a two-day orientation programme for the selected fellows on October 14 and 15, 2026.

Prof. (Dr.) V.C. Vivekanandan, Vice-Chancellor of HNLU and Project Director, highlighted the fellowship's dual objective of improving access to justice and fostering the professional development of young advocates. He emphasised the importance of translating legal knowledge and professional expertise into public service while promoting professional and social responsibility among young lawyers.

The orientation programme commenced with a keynote address by Justice Gautam Bhaduri, former Judge of the High Court of Chhattisgarh and former Executive Chairman of the Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority. He highlighted the importance of making legal assistance accessible to disadvantaged sections of society and encouraged the fellows to approach their professional responsibilities with dedication, sensitivity and a commitment to public service.

Justice Deepak Kumar Tiwari, former Judge of the High Court of Chhattisgarh, delivered a session titled “Free Legal Aid and Access to Justice: Practical Aspects of Legal Drafting, Pleadings and Advocacy.” The session covered effective legal drafting, preparation of pleadings, courtroom advocacy, procedural requirements and the professional responsibilities involved in representing litigants.

The programme also featured contributions from Prof. (Dr.) Deepak Kumar Srivastava, Registrar-in-Charge and Faculty-in-Charge of the Project; Shubham Tomar, Prosecution Officer; Parth Tiwari, Deputy Secretary, Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority; Abhinav K. Shukla, Assistant Professor and Faculty-in-Charge; Nishant Jain, Programme Manager; and Anant Pratap Singh, Fellowship Coordinator.

The interactive sessions brought together resource persons from the Bar, Bench, legal services institutions, prosecution services and legal academia. Discussions covered practical challenges in litigation, client representation, professional ethics, procedural preparedness and the needs of litigants from marginalised communities.

The initiative has received institutional support from the Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority to strengthen access to justice and extend legal assistance to underserved communities across the State.

The first cohort comprises ten practising advocates, with two fellows selected from each of the five districts. Each fellow will receive an honorarium of ₹22,000 per month for the eighteen-month fellowship. The fellows will undertake pro bono cases before district and sessions courts and other courts, with the programme aiming to reach approximately 1,000 beneficiaries during its tenure.

Approximately 500 applications were received for the fellowship, and ten advocates were selected through a rigorous process involving a panel comprising former High Court judges and members of the Bar, Bench and legal academia.

Cohort 2 of the विधि सारथी – Justice Connect Litigation Fellowship Programme is expected to commence in November 2026.