Call For Applications – Criminal Justice Student Fellowships (2026-27)

About The Square Circle Clinic: 

The Square Circle Clinic  is a criminal justice initiative at NALSAR University of Law, with its offices in New Delhi, Pune, Nagpur and Hyderabad. The Square Circle Clinic undertakes pro bono criminal defense of prisoners sentenced to death and also undertrials,research and public engagement efforts on issues relating to the death penalty, forensics, criminalisation and punishment, prevention of torture, legal aid, and mental health and criminal justice. The founders, leadership group, and the full-time staff members at The Square Circle Clinic earlier carried on the abovementioned criminal justice work as Project 39A and moved to NALSAR in April 2025.

About the Criminal Justice Student Fellowship

The Fellowship is a 12-month intensive programme through which Fellows will work closely with the Clinic’s litigation, mitigation, research and communications teams. Alongside assisting with the work of these teams, Fellows will gain a deeper understanding of how a defence-oriented criminal justice organisation functions in practice and meaningful exposure to the complexities of India’s criminal justice system. In addition to practical exposure, Fellows will engage with in-depth research and strategic thinking on criminal justice issues. The Fellowship is designed to provide Fellows with the opportunity to undertake independent research and produce outputs under the guidance of members of the Clinic.