The Tech Law Forum @ NALSAR (TLF) invites original, unpublished, submissions for the TLF Blog. They seek clear and well-argued short pieces that advance understanding of law and regulation at the intersection of technology and society. Students, academics, practitioners, policy-makers, and interdisciplinary researchers are encouraged to submit.
Tech Law Forum is a student-run research and outreach collective at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad. The TLF Blog is a public forum for commentary, analysis of law and policy, and quality scholarship on technology law and regulation.
Mandate & Scope
The Forum publishes short, focused pieces that examine legal, regulatory, and policy issues and developments including Acts, Judgements, and policy documents pertaining to technological change. Submissions that adopt comparative, empirical, doctrinal, or normative approaches are welcome. Typical (but non-exhaustive) subject areas include:
- Artificial Intelligence (governance, liability, explainability, audits)
- Data protection & privacy law
- Cybersecurity law and policy
- Platform regulation, content moderation, and intermediary liability
- Digital competition and antitrust in platform markets
- FinTech, payments law, and crypto-assets/DeFi regulation
- Telecommunications, spectrum and net neutrality
- Intellectual property in the digital economy
- Biotech, health data governance, and digital health regulation
- Algorithmic transparency, fairness, and discrimination
- Digital identity, e-governance, and public sector technology
- Digital evidence, forensics, and criminal procedure
- Technology & human rights (surveillance, free expression)
- Legal tech, access to justice, and automation of legal services
- Regulatory sandboxes, experimental governance, and design of tech policy
- Responses to recent cases, rules, or policy consultations
- Short empirical notes, policy briefs, and book reviews related to tech law
Ssubmissions that are contemporaneously relevant, comparative in outlook, or which propose practical regulatory solutions grounded in legal analysis are encouraged.
What is published (formats)
- Articles: The primary format of the TLF Blog, usually 1,200–1,800 words, offering concise, well-argued perspectives on law and technology.
- Practitioner Perspectives & Policy Briefs: Practitioner-oriented analyses addressing practical regulatory or policy challenges including comparative analysis.
- Book Reviews: Concise and critical reviews of recent works in technology law and related fields.
Word-length & Style
- Preferred length: 1,200–1,800 words, may accept up to 2500 words for particularly substantive submissions. The authors are requested to justify longer pieces in submissionform.
- There is no mandatory citation style. However, authors are encouraged to hyperlink sources whenever possible. If sources are not online, use footnotes; OSCOLA 4th Edition is acceptable but not mandatory. For statutory provisions, authors are encouraged to use India Code hyperlinks of specific provisions.
- Write for an informed but broad audience, such that the piece has clarity, precision, and persuasive argumentation, which matter more than (legal and technical) jargon.
- Originality: Submissions must be original, unpublished, and not under concurrent consideration elsewhere. Prior blog-version or preprint status should be disclosed.
- Anonymity: Manuscripts must be anonymised (no author names, institutional affiliations, acknowledgements, or identifying metadata) in the submitted article file should be available.
- File format: Submit only in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx).
- Copyright Exclusivity: If accepted, publication will be exclusive to TLF Blog for the first publication. Copyright will vest with Tech Law Forum by virtue of Copyright Act of 1957 and Creative Commons (CC) licenses upon publication; authors will be credited prominently on publication.
- Ethics & clearance: Ensure compliance with ethical research norms, such as obtaining necessary permissions for reproduced material.
How to Submit
- Submissions must be sent via this form ONLY.
- Subject line: “Submission for TLF Blog — [Title of Piece]”
- For time-sensitive pieces (e.g., commentary on a breaking judgment or rule), use: “Expedited | Submission for TLF Blog — [Title of Piece]” in the subject line. Please note that the author shall indicate why they feel that the piece should have an “Expedited” consideration.
Review Process & Timeline
- Acknowledgement: Submissions will be acknowledged on receipt.
- Preliminary review in 7–10 days. Authors will be notified of rejection or provisional acceptance.
- Revision stage: If revisions are requested, authors should typically respond within 10–20 days. Final acceptance is communicated after satisfactory revisions.
- Publication: After final acceptance, the aim is to publish promptly; time to publication will vary with editorial scheduling.
- Note: Editors have sole discretion on acceptance, formatting, and dispute resolution.
Editorial Standards
- Precision of legal reasoning and clear substantiated argument(s)
- Clear policy relevance or practical implications
- Originality of argument(s) or perspective(s)
- Evidence of engagement with primary sources (statutes, rules, judgments) and core scholarship
- Concise structure and accessible prose
NOTE: Forum does not accept pieces that are purely promotional, lack legal substance, or are mere restatements of public positions without analysis.
Selection Checklist (helpful for authors)
Before submitting, ensure your manuscript:
- Is anonymised and in .doc/.docx format.
- Includes hyperlinks to primary sources wherever possible.
- Is within or near the preferred word length (1,200–1,800 words).
- Is original and exclusive at time of submission.
- Has an accompanying author-details document and a 1–2 line summary.
Contact
Email: techlawforum@nalsar.ac.in