NLSIU Summer SchoolFoundations for a Legal Education Certificate Course(FLE)
Overview
Moving from high school to university can be a challenging transition. NLSIU’s Foundations for a Legal Education (FLE) is designed to equip students with the skills and intellectual foundations required to navigate this shift with confidence.
Over four rigorous weeks, the course introduces participants to core academic abilities that are essential across disciplines. You will learn to:
- Read closely and analyse complex materials;
- Develop reasoned, evidence-based effective arguments;
- Connect, and synthesise diverse forms of information in writing;
- Speak persuasively;
- Think like a lawyer!
The course is anchored in NLSIU’s distinctive pedagogy, combining conceptual clarity with skill-based learning. Led by experienced faculty, sessions engage with contemporary, carefully curated materials that reflect current academic and public concerns. Students are encouraged to test and refine their understanding through structured interaction, ensuring that learning is both rigorous and responsive.
While the study of law demands particular skills, many students may not have had prior exposure or guidance in developing them. FLE addresses this gap by offering a structured introduction to ways of reading, thinking, and writing that are central not only to legal education, but to university learning more broadly.
This course is not only for aspiring law students. It is equally valuable for anyone interested in building core skills that will enable them to engage more thoughtfully with academic work.
If you are in the ninth standard or above and are curious about strengthening your academic abilities, this course from a NIRF-ranked #1 law school is an excellent place to begin. FLE will help you develop lifelong skills that will:
- Strengthen your preparedness for university-level study;
- Enhance your comprehension, articulation, and reasoning; and
- Serve as a springboard into academic and professional life.
Admission Status:
Enrolments for our NLSIU Summer School – Foundations for a Legal Education (FLE) for 2026 is open now. To apply Click here
Click on the Courses tab to view the course details.
For any queries regarding FLE, please write to fle@nls.ac.in
Courses
Modules:
- Reading Closely – This module will introduce students to careful reading strategies, understanding complex text formats and cultivating a spirit of inquiry – skills essential to be a lawyer.
- Thinking Critically – This part of the FLE course will help students in recognising the characteristics of strong and weak arguments, spotting assumptions and fallacies, appreciate different reasons for similar arguments, and discover their own views and biases.
- Writing Clearly – This module will train students to write clearly and convincingly. It will also help students structure and present their writing in a persuasive manner.
- Speaking Persuasively – This part of the course is intended to help students identify the purpose and methods of speaking persuasively, structure their speech, and develop their speaking style, to enable them to become good public speakers.
Module Format:
Access the content, interact with faculty in form of Live synchronous classes, and get a certificate from NLS after successfully clearing your assessments.
Class Schedule:
The class schedule will be shared closer to the start of the course.
Faculty
Vice-Chancellor
&
Director, Department of Professional and Continuing Education, NLSIU
Professor of Law
Assistant Professor, Social Sciences
Assistant Professor, Social Science
and
NLS Archives In-Charge
Co-director, The Writing Centre, NLSIU
Assistant Professor of Law
Assistant Professor of Law
Assistant Professor of Law
Assistant Professor of Law
Consulting Editor – Research
Assistant Professor of Law
Fee
The course provides access to Content, Faculty Interactions & Certification. The total cost of the certification course for AY 2026-27 is Rs.12,500/- + payment gateway charges as applicable.
Kindly note that there will be no refund of any fees should the participant cancel the registration or fail to attend the course.
Apply
Applications for the FLE Course is open now! To apply Click here
Course start date: 05 May 2026
Course end date: 29 May2026
Application deadline: 24 April 2026
For any queries regarding FLE, please write to fle@nls.ac.in
FAQs
Why has NLSIU developed the FLE course for high school students?
Currently, very few students receive a structured introduction to legal education and the legal profession. Through this Certificate course, NLSIU is committed to encouraging motivated high school students to pursue a career in legal education. It is not a mandatory programme. It is a foundations programme for anyone interested in legal education. NLSIU is committed to deepening and broadening the pool of students interested in pursuing a legal education. Our effort seeks to motivate bright young high school students to consider and pursue a legal education.
Is the course only aimed at high school students?
The course aims to provide foundational legal knowledge to legal aspirants. Students aspiring to join law school will find it particularly helpful but it is open to both students and professionals who are keen to learn foundational legal principles.
Is there a limit to seats available for the FLE?
There is currently no limit on the number of students that can be a part of any cohort of the course.
Is it a completely online course?
The NLSIU Summer School – Foundations for a Legal Education Certificate Course shall be delivered in an online format, as is the case with all of the NLSIU Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) programmes. We hope that this will help students from across the country access the benefits of the certificate course.
Will the Course help in cracking CLAT?
This is not a test-preparatory course. However, it will help all law students prepare for their first year of legal education.
What are the timings for the FLE classes?
The class schedule will be shared soon near the start of the course.
I do not reside in India. Can I still enrol for the course?
Yes, absolutely. The course will be fully taught online and participants can access the videos and reading material at a pace that is suitable to them.
How does the FLE course provide flexibility to students?
FLE has been designed keeping in mind examination schedules and the academic obligations of students. Students will be able to:
Access content, interact with faculty, and get a certificate from NLSIU (if you clear course assessments).
Is it mandatory for students to attend classes?
It is not mandatory for students to attend the live classes, However, students are expected to go through all the class recordings for understanding the concepts discussed. Assessments may rely on class discussions.
What are the type of assessments? When will it be conducted?
The assessments will be based on the course module and participants who have followed the course as taught by the faculty, will find it comfortable to attempt them.
Assessment methods will be shared at the start of the Programme. After successfully clearing your assessments, you will receive the transcript and Certificate (online) from NLSIU at the end of the course.
Is it possible to ask for a refund before or after the admissions deadline?
Any refund request before the admission confirmation the fee will be fully refunded. Upon confirmation of admission, the fee will be non-refundable under any circumstances.
How is the NLS certificate useful?
NLSIU is NIRF #1 ranked law school in the country and is recognised by all academic and professional institutions. The FLE course is specially crafted to provide foundational knowledge on legal principles to aspirants.
Admission Status
OPEN
Duration
4 Weeks (online)
Course Fee (Indian Nationals)
12,500/-
Course Fee (Foreign Nationals)
12,500/-