Author Submission Guidelines — Journal of Legal Research by ILRF

The Journal of Legal Research by ILRF is a scholarly platform dedicated to encouraging rigorous legal research and meaningful academic dialogue. The Journal aims to promote critical thinking, doctrinal analysis, and interdisciplinary scholarship in the field of law.

We invite submissions from students, researchers, academicians, legal practitioners, and policy professionals who wish to contribute to the advancement of legal knowledge and discourse.

Authors are requested to carefully review and comply with the following submission guidelines before sending their manuscripts.

1. Scope of the Journal

The Journal welcomes scholarly work addressing contemporary legal issues, doctrinal developments, comparative legal analysis, public policy concerns, and interdisciplinary legal studies.

Submissions may focus on, but are not limited to:

Constitutional and Administrative Law
Criminal Law and Criminal Justice
Corporate and Commercial Law
Technology and Data Protection Law
International Law and Trade Law
Environmental and Human Rights Law
Emerging areas of legal policy and governance

Manuscripts that demonstrate original research, analytical depth, and well reasoned arguments are particularly encouraged.

2. Categories of Submissions

The Journal accepts manuscripts under the following categories.

Research Articles

Research Articles are expected to present comprehensive and well-structured research on a specific legal issue. These papers should include doctrinal analysis, relevant case law discussion, statutory interpretation, and engagement with existing academic literature.

Word Limit: 8,000 – 10,000 words (including footnotes and abstract)

Short Articles / Essays

Short Articles or Essays may address a focused legal question, contemporary development, or theoretical debate. These pieces are shorter but should still demonstrate analytical clarity and scholarly engagement.

Word Limit: 2,500 – 4,000 words (including footnotes and abstract)

Case Comments

Case Comments analyse recent judicial decisions and discuss their legal significance, reasoning adopted by the court, and potential implications for future jurisprudence.

Word Limit: 1,500 – 2,500 words (including footnotes and abstract)

Legislative or Policy Comments

These submissions analyse newly enacted legislation, amendments, regulatory developments, or public policy initiatives and their broader legal and societal impact.

Word Limit: 1,500 – 2,500 words (including footnotes and abstract)

3. Originality Requirement

All submissions must be original and unpublished work.

Authors must ensure that:

The manuscript has not been previously published in any journal, blog, or online platform.
The manuscript is not simultaneously submitted to another publication.
All sources used in the manuscript are properly cited.

The Journal follows strict academic integrity standards and does not tolerate plagiarism, data manipulation, or misrepresentation of sources.

If plagiarism is detected at any stage of the review or publication process, the manuscript will be immediately rejected, and the author may be barred from future submissions.

4. Manuscript Formatting Requirements

To ensure uniformity and readability, authors must follow the formatting requirements listed below.

Font and Text Formatting

Font Style: Times New Roman
Alignment: Justified
Margins: 1 inch on all sides
Line Spacing: Main text: 1.5 spacing | Footnotes: Single spacing
Page Numbers: Not required (do not insert page numbers).

Font Sizes

Title: 16
Headings / Subheadings: 14
Body Text: 12
Footnotes: 10

Headings and Subheadings

Authors should structure their manuscript using clear headings and subheadings to improve readability. For example:

I. Introduction
II. Legal Framework
III. Judicial Interpretation
IV. Comparative Analysis
V. Conclusion

Headings should be concise and logically organized.

5. Cover Page (Separate Page)

Every manuscript must include a separate cover page as the first page of the submission. The cover page must contain the title, complete author details, and the AI disclosure statement.

Authors may copy the template below and replace the placeholder fields with their own details.

📄 [TITLE OF THE MANUSCRIPT]

Author Details

Author Name

[Full name]

Institution / University

[Institution name]

Academic Year / Designation

[e.g. 3rd Year, B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) / Designation]

Email Address

[Email]

Contact Number

[Mobile number]

LinkedIn (for credits)

[LinkedIn profile link]

Instagram (for credits)

[Instagram handle]

AI Disclosure Statement

[State whether AI tools were used and for what purpose. Example: "The author used an AI-assisted writing tool solely for language editing, grammar refinement, and formatting assistance. All legal research, analysis, case law interpretation, arguments, and conclusions presented in this manuscript are the author's own work."]

The cover page should contain author-identifying details only. To enable blind review, authors should avoid revealing their identity in the main manuscript.

6. Abstract Page

Immediately after the cover page, the manuscript must begin with a dedicated Abstract Page, arranged in the following order:

Title of the manuscript
AI Disclosure Statement
Abstract (150–250 words) summarizing:
- the research issue
- methodology or approach
- key arguments or findings
The abstract should allow readers to quickly understand the focus and contribution of the paper.
Keywords — 4–6 keywords that represent the core themes of the manuscript.
These keywords assist in indexing and improving the discoverability of the research.

7. Citation and Footnoting Style

The Journal of Legal Research by ILRF follows the Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (latest edition).

Authors must adhere to the following rules:

All references must be cited using footnotes rather than endnotes.
Citations must follow the formatting standards prescribed in the Bluebook.
Authors should ensure accuracy in citing case laws, statutes, books, journal articles, and online sources.
Web sources should include the date of last access.
Excessive citation should be avoided. Footnotes should support the argument rather than overwhelm the main text.

Bluebook reference guide: Bluebook Citation Primer (PDF)

8. Editorial Screening Process

Once a manuscript is received, it undergoes an initial editorial review. The editorial board assesses:

Fit within the Journal's scope
Compliance with formatting and citation guidelines
Originality and clarity

Non-compliant submissions may be returned for technical revisions before peer review.

Reviewers then evaluate:

Originality and clarity of arguments
Methodological rigor and quality of legal analysis
Relevance to contemporary legal discourse

Based on reviewer recommendations, the editorial board may:

Accept the manuscript
Accept with minor revisions
Request major revisions
Reject the submission

9. Response Timeline

The Journal strives to maintain a transparent and efficient review process.

In cases requiring extensive peer review or revisions, the process may take slightly longer. Authors will be informed promptly about the status of their manuscript.

Acknowledgment of submissionsame day
Initial editorial decisionwithin 7 working days
Final review decisionwithin 30 days

10. Plagiarism Screening

All manuscripts submitted to the Journal undergo plagiarism screening using recognized academic plagiarism detection software.

Submissions with similarity exceeding approximately 10–12% (excluding citations and commonly used legal terminology) may be rejected or returned for revision.

The Journal may also verify:

authenticity of citations
accuracy of legal references
integrity of sources cited

11. Editing & Proofreading

The editorial board reserves the right to make minor editorial changes to improve clarity, grammar, and formatting.

However:

Substantive changes will always be communicated to the author.
Authors may be required to review proofs prior to publication.

Authors are expected to cooperate with the editorial team to ensure smooth and timely publication.

12. Copyright Policy

Upon acceptance of the manuscript, authors may be required to grant the Journal the right to publish the work. Authors will retain the intellectual ownership of their research, but any subsequent publication of the same work should acknowledge its first publication in the Journal of Legal Research by ILRF.

13. Ethical Standards

Authors must avoid:

plagiarism & duplicate submissions
fabrication or manipulation of findings
improper attribution of sources

14. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

The Journal of Legal Research by ILRF recognizes that technological tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), are increasingly being used to assist in research and writing. While such tools may support the research process, authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their submissions.

Permissible Use of AI Tools

Authors may use AI-based tools for limited assistance, such as:

Improving grammar, language clarity, or sentence structure
Organizing research notes or summarizing background material
Formatting citations or references

These uses are considered acceptable as long as the core intellectual contribution, legal reasoning, and analysis remain the author's own work.

Prohibited Use of AI Tools

AI tools must not be used to generate substantive portions of the manuscript, including:

Original legal analysis or arguments
Case law interpretation
Research conclusions or policy recommendations
Entire sections of the manuscript

Author Responsibility & Disclosure

Authors are solely responsible for ensuring that all legal citations are accurate, correctly referenced, and not fabricated by AI tools. The editorial board reserves the right to verify citations and references during the review process.

If AI tools have been used in any stage of the manuscript preparation, authors must provide a brief disclosure statement on the cover page.

Example: "The author used an AI-assisted writing tool solely for language editing and grammar refinement. All legal research, analysis, and conclusions presented in this manuscript are the author's own work."

Editorial Review of AI Use

The Journal may use editorial screening methods or AI-detection tools to identify manuscripts that appear to be substantially AI-generated. If significant AI generated content is identified without disclosure, the manuscript may be returned for clarification, or rejected on grounds of academic integrity.

15. Rewards and Benefits Policy

The Journal of Legal Research by ILRF shall recognise and reward outstanding academic contributions published in the journal.

🏆 Paper of the Month Award (Monthly)

The Editorial Board shall select one article/paper each month as the "Paper of the Month." The selection will be based on originality, depth of research, analytical quality, relevance to contemporary legal issues, and overall academic contribution.

💰 Prize Money

The author(s) of the selected Paper shall be awarded a cash prize of ₹5,100 (Rupees Five Thousand One Hundred only).

🌐 Feature and Promotion

The selected paper will be featured and promoted on the official website and digital platforms of the India Legal Research Foundation, providing the author(s) with enhanced visibility within the legal and academic community.

📜 Author Recognition

The author(s) of the awarded paper may also receive a certificate of recognition from the India Legal Research Foundation acknowledging their scholarly contribution. (The decision of the Editorial Board is final and binding.)

16. Registration and Submission Process

All manuscripts for the Journal of Legal Research by ILRF must be submitted through the official online submission system on the main Journal page.

Registration Fee

A registration fee of ₹399 (Rupees Three Hundred Ninety-Nine only) is required to submit a manuscript to the journal.

After completing the submission form, authors will be automatically redirected to the payment page to complete the registration fee payment. The submission process will be considered complete only after the successful payment.

Fee Policy: The registration fee is charged solely for maintaining the authenticity and seriousness of submissions and to ensure that the journal receives genuine academic contributions.

For any queries or doubts, reach out at:

publications@ilrf.in