JGLS launches India's first pre-law summer programme for Grades 9-12
Synopsis
India's top-ranked law school has opened its moot court doors to school students for the first time. JGLS's IMAANDAAR Summer Programme — a seven-day residential experience in advocacy, legal reasoning, and dispute resolution — targets Grades 9-12 and launches in June 2026, filling a gap that STEM and entrepreneurship camps have long left open in India's pre-university landscape.
Key Takeaways
JGLS launches the IMAANDAAR Summer Programme , India's first residential pre-law programme for school students of Grades 9-12 .
The programme runs from 14 June to 20 June 2026 at the JGU campus in Sonipat, Haryana .
Curriculum covers advocacy, moot court techniques, legal reasoning, negotiation, ADR, and legal ethics.
JGLS is ranked 35th globally by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 and holds the No.
1 law school ranking in India for the 7th consecutive year .
A Grand Moot Court simulation before expert panels is the programme's flagship activity.
Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), part of O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) in Sonipat, Haryana, has announced the launch of the IMAANDAAR Summer Programme in Pre-Law Mooting & Advocacy — described as India's first residential pre-law programme for school students of Grades 9 to 12. Scheduled from 14 June to 20 June 2026, the seven-day initiative aims to introduce high school learners to legal reasoning, advocacy, and constitutional values through an immersive, experiential curriculum.
About the Programme
The programme will be hosted at IMAANDAAR — the International Mooting Academy for Advocacy, Negotiation, Dispute Adjudication, Arbitration & Resolution — located within the JGU campus, which houses one of the world's largest academic moot court facilities. The residential format is designed to replicate the rigour and environment of university-level legal education for younger learners.
The curriculum covers advocacy and public speaking, critical thinking and legal reasoning, moot court techniques and courtroom etiquette, negotiation, mediation, and alternative dispute resolution (ADR), legal ethics and professional responsibility, and research, argumentation, and case analysis. A centrepiece of the week is the Grand Moot Court, where participants argue simulated proceedings before expert panels and receive structured feedback from faculty and trained facilitators.
What the Organisers Said
Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of JGU and Founding Dean of JGLS, said:
Point of View
Yet structured pre-university legal education has been virtually non-existent — a gap this programme directly targets. JGLS's move is savvy institution-building as much as pedagogy: early exposure to JGU's campus and faculty is also a powerful recruitment pipeline. The real measure of impact will be whether the programme scales beyond a single cohort and whether its curriculum reaches students from non-metro, non-elite school backgrounds — or remains accessible only to those who can afford a residential week at a private university.
NationPress
8 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IMAANDAAR Summer Programme at JGLS?
It is India's first residential pre-law summer programme for school students of Grades 9 to 12, launched by Jindal Global Law School at O.P. Jindal Global University in Sonipat, Haryana. The seven-day programme, running from 14 to 20 June 2026, covers advocacy, moot court techniques, legal reasoning, negotiation, and legal ethics.
Who can apply for the IMAANDAAR Summer Programme?
The programme is open to students currently enrolled in Grades 9 to 12. It is designed for young learners interested in law, public speaking, critical thinking, or leadership, regardless of whether they intend to pursue a legal career.
Where will the programme be held?
The programme will be held at the IMAANDAAR facility on the O.P. Jindal Global University campus in Sonipat, Haryana, which houses one of the world's largest academic moot court complexes.
What is the ranking of Jindal Global Law School?
JGLS is ranked 35th globally by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 and has retained its position as India's No. 1 law school for the seventh consecutive year.
Why is a pre-law programme for school students significant in India?
Structured pre-law education opportunities for school students remain extremely limited in India, even as STEM, entrepreneurship, and leadership camps have become common. The IMAANDAAR programme aims to fill this gap by introducing students to constitutional thinking, advocacy, and legal reasoning before they enter university.
