U.S. – India Comparative Constitutional Law 2.0

The project aimed at contributing to the emergence of a new generation of young Indian citizens who understand and appreciate the constitutional traditions of India and U.S.; have a sharp awareness of the place of the constitutional values like liberty, equality and fraternity in our everyday lives and are committed to promoting, propagating and protecting them; and will take on civic responsibilities and become active citizens. One of the main goals of the project was to ignite curiosity among the Indian students about the U.S. constitutional law and its history. 

This project facilitated and is a step towards building sustained partnerships and collaborations between the Indian and U.S. law schools. The workshops were attended by students, professors and US Consulate officials. A total of over 150 students attended the workshops. This included students from across various South Indian law schools including, Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai; National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi, Tamil Nadu National Law University, Trichy and National Law School of India University, Bangalore. 

Various eminent academics such as Prof Mark Tushnet, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law, Emeritus, Harvard Law School; Prof Stephen Gardbaum, MacArthur Foundation Professor of International Justice and Human Rights, UCLA School of Law; Prof Louise Tillin, Director, King’s India Institute and Professor of Politics, King’s College London; and Prof Arun Thiruvengadam, Professor of Law, National Law School of India University, Bangalore spoke at the workshops.  

The workshops were conducted on the following dates:

Workshop I : On 23 and 24 October 2021 with students of Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai and University of California, Los Angeles.

Workshop II : On 30 and 31 October 2021, with students of National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi and Seattle University School of Law.

Workshop III : On 13 and 14 November 2021 with students of Tamil Nadu National Law University, Trichy, St. Joseph’s College of Law, Bangalore; School of Law, Christ University, Bangalore; Karnataka State Law University, Symbiosis International University, Hyderabad and National Law University, Delhi.

Workshop IV : On 18, 20 and 21 January 2022 with students of National Law School of India University, Bangalore and Tulane University School of Law.

Strengthening Transgender Rights in India

CLPR concentrates on strengthening its work on transgender rights and contribute to the development of trans equality in India through three initiatives namely the Trans Law Cell, the Global Trans Law Database, and Know Your Rights and Entitlement Session (KYRE) and Roundtable Conference on Transgender Issues.

The South Asian Translaw Database supports law and policy engagement efforts by the transgender community, legal professionals, government officials and academics from the South Asian region and beyond. The Database includes, primary legislation & rules from international, national and provincial levels, policy documents created by governments and civil society, and court cases including court documents and decisions relevant to the rights of transgender, non-binary and intersex persons.

The Trans Law Cell is an initiative by CLPR that provides free legal aid and advice to the transgender community, and empowers members of the trans-community to better understand, and fight for, their rights. It is a free walk-in legal clinic which takes place every week on Tuesdays, between 5-6 PM. Besides matters of legal documentation, the Trans Law Cell is open to providing all and any kind of legal aid to transgender persons. The Cell has also provides legal advice to persons who wish to establish inclusive societies within corporate firms, to ensure that there is no discrimination based on gender and gender identity in corporate environments. The Trans Law Cell does not require prior registration or appointments.