CLAT Consortium 2025: Latest Information about it’s History, Creation, Participating NLUs

The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) or CLAT Consortium will conducted the upcoming CLAT 2025 examination in the month of December tentatively. The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) or CLAT Consortium is a group of 24 National Law Universities that conducts the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). The NLUs accept CLAT scores for admission to their undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law programs. Some Private colleges apart from the NLUs also accept CLAT scores for admission to law courses.

If you are planning to appear for CLAT 2025 you must know about  Consortium of NLUs.

History of CLAT Consortium

1st National Law University namely, National Law School of India University was established at Bangalore in 1987. It took more than 10 years for the second National Law University, i.e , NALSAR (National Academy of Legal Studies and Research) at Hyderabad to come up in 1998. Then different States established NLUs. NLUs are created under State Statutes with Chief Justice of India or Chief Justice of respective High Court as Chancellor.

NLUs were created on the pattern of IIMs and IITs. Also, India, is the only country in the world which has Universities for legal discipline alone.

Creation of CLAT Consortium

Previously Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) was conducted by National Law Universities on a rotational basis. However, to make the CLAT more organized, transparent and effective and to promote legal education in the country, around 18 NLUs came together and formed the Consortium of National Law Universities or CLAT Consortium on August 19, 2017. In later years, four more universities joined Consortium of NLUs. Today, except National Law University, Delhi, all other NLUs are part of CLAT Consortium. NLU Tripura and GNLU Silvasa are newly established NLUs and have joined the consortium recently. Over the years, the CLAT Consortium has evolved into an organization that is well-organized, effective and transparent in conducting the national-level law entrance exam.

Inception Of CLAT

In 2006, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court of India by a parent for Common Test (CWP 68 of 2006 decided on Nov 23, 2007-Varun Bhagat v. Union of India) for conducting a single test for admission to all the NLU’s. In 2008, seven NLUs signed MoU to hold CLAT in presence of Secretary MHRD and UGC representative.

First CLAT was conducted in 2008, which was MCQ based and offline. This continued till 2014 as such without any major glitches. In 2015, a revised MoU was signed to include other seven NLUs within the ambit of CLAT and CLAT went online.

In 2015, the seeds of Consortium of NLUs were sown and participating NLU’s deliberated to found Consortium in the larger interest.

On 17.10.2018, a permanent CLAT Secretariat was established at Bangalore. In 2018, Consortium also decided to conduct the test offline again. Earlier the test was being conducted by the University by rotation and now it has been decided that it will be conducted by EC of Consortium.

The Consortium became the legal entity when it was registered at Bangalore under the Karnataka Co-operative Society Act, of 26-03-2019 in which 16 NLU’s signed and became the founding members of the Consortium. It has three permanent member, i.e., National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad, National Law Institute (NLIU), Bhopal.

The General Council of the Consortium every year elects Presidents, Vice-President and Convener for conducting the CLAT. The Vice-Chancellor of NLSIU, Bangalore is Ex-officio Secretary of the Consortium.

Objectives of CLAT Consortium

The main aims and objectives for which the Society is established are as under

1. To provide the highest standards of legal education to make Indian legal education comparable with the most reputed international institutions of legal education.
2. To consider, initiate and promote reforms in legal education and disseminate learning and knowledge of law and legal processes and their role in national development.
3. To provide better co-ordination amongst the NLUs and other legal institutions to achieve highest standard of legal education in the country.
4. To provide advice to the universities, educational institutions and academicians on teaching and promote innovative curriculum, teaching methods and teaching materials in the field of law and allied disciplines.
5. To administer, control and monitor the conducting of all India common entrance examination for law i.e. CLAT, for and on behalf of all the participating NLUs, and facilitate admission of students into various NLUs in the country.
6. To permit the use of CLAT score by any other institution for admission or appointments or for any other purpose in accordance with the Bye-Laws of the Society.
7. To consider and streamline the process of recruitment of teachers of Law Universities and develop skills in research, publication, pedagogy among the law teachers in all the NLUs and the law teachers in other institutions imparting courses in law.
8. To promote and disseminate knowledge, create awareness and provide a common forum of interaction amongst academicians, judges, lawyers, professionals, universities, educational institutions and government agencies.
9. To promote and facilitate exchange of faculty as well as students not only amongst the NLUs but also with the foreign law schools and universities.
10. To promote educational research and facilitate the exchange of information among the universities through sharing of resources.

Governing Body of CLAT Consortium

Participating Universities of CLAT Consortium

Check out the complete list of 24 NLUs (along with their seat intake) that are the member universities of the Consortium of NLUs.

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