The Indian Law Institute (ILI), New Delhi, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) and the Menon Institute of Legal Advocacy & Training (MILAT), will host the second edition of the CLEA-MILAT Research Mentoring Programme (RMP)® 2026 from May 18 to 22, 2026, at its New Delhi campus.
Positioned as a high-impact academic initiative in the legal research space, the programme seeks to bring together emerging scholars, academicians, advocates, and professionals for an intensive mentoring experience focused on contemporary legal scholarship.
About the Programme
The CLEA-MILAT Research Mentoring Programme (RMP)® 2026 has been conceptualised as a structured mentorship platform aimed at strengthening research capabilities in the legal field. Spread across four phases over nearly six weeks, the programme combines a preparatory online orientation, a five-day in-person training module, one-on-one mentoring, and manuscript development support designed to help participants produce publication-ready research work.
The academic sessions will engage with critical themes such as legal research methodology, academic writing, empirical research methods, publication ethics, policy-oriented legal scholarship, comparative law, sustainability studies, data and text mining tools, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in legal research.
Judicial Dignitaries to Grace the Programme
The inaugural ceremony, scheduled for May 18, 2026, at 5:30 PM, will be inaugurated by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant, Chief Justice of India, who has consented to attend as the Chief Guest.
Joining the inaugural ceremony as the Guest of Honour will be Hon’ble Mr. Justice K. V. Viswanathan, Judge, Supreme Court of India.
The valedictory ceremony, to be held on May 22, 2026, at 4:15 PM, will feature Hon’ble Mr. Justice P. S. Narasimha, Judge, Supreme Court of India, as the Chief Guest, marking a distinguished judicial presence across the programme’s opening and closing ceremonies.
Academic Leadership Behind the Initiative
The programme is being conducted under the guidance of Sr. Prof. (Dr.) V. K. Ahuja, Director, Indian Law Institute.
It is being led by Sr. Prof. (Dr.) S. Sivakumar, who currently serves as Senior Professor at the Indian Law Institute, President of CLEA, Chairman of MILAT, and Lead Mentor & Director of RMP 2026.
The organisers have indicated that the training module will feature distinguished academicians, judges, policymakers, and subject experts from premier institutions across India, creating a collaborative environment for serious academic engagement and mentorship.
A Significant Opportunity for the Legal Research Community
At a time when legal scholarship is increasingly moving toward interdisciplinary inquiry, empirical research, and AI-assisted methodologies, programmes like the CLEA-MILAT Research Mentoring Programme represent an important effort toward building stronger research culture within India’s legal ecosystem.
The programme has already drawn participation from universities, research institutions, members of the Bar, and the Bench from across India, positioning it as a collaborative platform for legal scholarship, mentorship, and academic exchange.