ITM University Law Review Journal

These guidelines govern submissions to the ITM University Law Review Journal. They are intended for academics, practitioners, researchers, and students submitting original work in any area of law and allied disciplines.

Objectives of the Journal
  • To provide a scholarly platform for the publication of high-quality, original legal research across diverse and emerging areas of law and allied disciplines.
  • To encourage doctrinal, empirical and interdisciplinary inquiry that contributes meaningfully to legal knowledge, policy and practice.
  • To foster critical engagement with contemporary legal issues, judicial developments and legislative reforms at the national and international levels.
  • To promote academic rigour, ethical scholarship and originality among students, researchers, academicians and practitioners of law.
  • To bridge the gap between legal theory and practice by encouraging research with practical relevance and reform-oriented insights.
  • To nurture a culture of legal writing and analytical thinking within the broader academic community at ITM University and beyond.
Editorial Team

Patron

Dr. Yogesh Upadhyay
Hon’ble Vice Chancellor
ITM University, Gwalior, India

Editorial Board

Dr. Shobha Bhardwaj
Editor-in-Chief
Dean, School of Law
ITMU
Devvrat Singh Chauhan
Editor
Assistant Professor, School of Law
ITMU
Kaushal Sharma
Editor
Assistant Professor, School of Law
ITMU
Ritansha Singhal
Editor
Assistant Professor, School of Law
ITMU
Hradyesh Chaturvedi
Editor
Assistant Professor, School of Law
ITMU
Originality, Ethics and Plagiarism
  • Submissions must be strictly original, unpublished, and not under consideration with any other journal, book or conference at the time of submission.
  • Any form of plagiarism (including self-plagiarism, excessive verbatim quotation, or unattributed paraphrasing) will lead to summary rejection; the Journal reserves the right to run manuscripts through plagiarism detection software.
  • Authors must certify that:
    • The work is their own;
    • All sources are duly acknowledged through proper citation;
    • Necessary permissions for copyrighted material, data, images or tables have been obtained, wherever applicable.
  • Simultaneous submissions, duplicate publication, or salami-slicing of substantially similar work are prohibited and may attract future debarment from the Journal.
  • Similarity index should be≤15%.
Types of Submissions and Word Limits

The Journal accepts the following categories (word limits are inclusive of footnotes unless specified otherwise):

  • Research Articles: 6,000–8,000 words; in-depth, theory or doctrine-driven analysis.
  • Essays / Short Articles: 3,000–5,000 words; focused, argumentative pieces on contemporary issues.
  • Case Comments / Legislative Notes: 2,000–3,000 words; critical analysis of recent judgments or legislative developments.
  • Book Reviews: 1,500–2,500 words; analytical (not merely descriptive) reviews of recent or significant titles.
  • Notes / Reports: 1,500–3,000 words; conference reports, law reform notes, or field-based insights, where permitted.
Language and Style
  • Medium: English. Use clear, formal and gender-sensitive language.
  • Spelling: Either British or American English is permitted, but must be consistent throughout the manuscript.
  • Writing style:
    • Prefer active voice and precise legal terminology.
    • Avoid overly long sentences, colloquialisms and rhetorical flourishes more suitable for advocacy than scholarship.
Manuscript Structure

Each manuscript should generally contain the following elements, in this order (unless the Journal specifies otherwise):

  1. Title of the paper
  2. Author details page
  3. Abstract and keywords
  4. Main text (with numbered headings and sub-headings)
  5. Conclusion
  6. Tables, charts or annexures (if any)
Abstract and Keywords
  • Abstract: 150–250 words, summarizing the research problem, methodology, core arguments and key findings.
  • Keywords: 4–6 keywords immediately below the abstract, separated by commas; use terms that are searchable and reflect the core issues (e.g., “arbitration,” “constitutionalism,” “transfer of property”).
Formatting – General Text

Unless otherwise specified by the Journal, the following standard format is recommended and widely used across Indian law reviews.

  • File format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx).
  • Page size: A4.
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides (or left 1.5 inches, right 1 inch, as per journal choice).
  • Alignment: Justified text.
  • Font (main text): Times New Roman, size 12, 1.5 line spacing.
  • Font (footnotes): Times New Roman, size 10, single line spacing.
  • Paragraphs: First line indent 0.5 inch, with a single line space between paragraphs, if desired.
Headings and Sub‑Headings

Headings must clearly reflect the logical structure of the argument and follow a consistent, numbered hierarchy.

Recommended Numbering Scheme
  • Level 1 (Main Headings): I, II, III, IV (Roman numerals, uppercase).
  • Level 2 (Sub-Headings): A, B, C (Alphabet, uppercase).
  • Level 3: 1, 2, 3 (Arabic numerals).
  • Level 4: (a), (b), (c) (Alphabet, lowercase).
  • Level 5: (i), (ii), (iii) (Roman numerals, lowercase).
Fonts and Styles for Headings
  • Article Title: Times New Roman, 16 pt, bold, ALL CAPS, centered, 1.5 spacing.
  • Level 1 Headings (I., II., III.): Times New Roman, 14 pt, bold, ALL CAPS, left aligned.
  • Level 2 Headings (A., B., C.): Times New Roman, 13 pt, bold, Title Case, left aligned.
  • Level 3 Headings (1., 2., 3.): Times New Roman, 12 pt, bold, Sentence case, left aligned or indented.
  • Lower levels: Times New Roman, 12 pt, italics or bold-italics as needed, sentence case.

The first heading after the abstract should ordinarily be “Introduction” and the final major heading “Conclusion” (or “Conclusion and Suggestions”).

Citation and Referencing Style
Citation and Footnotes

The Journal should specify a single citation system to be followed consistently.

  • Preferred style: The Bluebook – A Uniform System of Citation, 20th edition (or 19th, depending on policy), or any recognized Indian legal citation guide.
  • All references must appear as footnotes rather than endnotes, unless specifically stated otherwise.
  • Footnotes should be used for:
    • Case law, statutes, treaties, and policy documents.
    • Books, articles, websites and reports.
    • Explanatory or qualifying remarks that are not central enough for the main text (speaking footnotes should be used sparingly).
Tables, Figures and Annexures
Tables, Figures and Annexures
  • Tables and figures must be clearly numbered (e.g., Table 1, Figure 1) and carry concise, descriptive titles.
  • Sources of data must be cited directly below the table or figure, in smaller font (10 pt).
  • As far as possible, tables and figures should be placed within the text near the point of first reference, not at the end.
  • Annexures (if allowed) should be placed after the references and numbered separately as Annexure I, Annexure II, etc.
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