Key facts
- The National Institute of Advanced Legal Studies was established by the Bar Council of Kerala Trust in 2002, affiliated to Cochin University of Science and Technology.
- NUALS was established by Act 27 of 2005 of the Kerala Legislature, which merged the 2002 institute into the new university.
- NUALS’s first classes were held at the Government Girls’ High School campus at Kaloor, Kochi, according to Wikipedia.
- NUALS moved to its permanent 10-acre campus in the KINFRA Hi-Tech Park, Kalamassery, in 2011.
- In 2026 a NUALS team won the Richard R. Baxter Award for best applicant memorial at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.
From a Bar Council institute to a university
By the early 2000s several Indian states had a national law university, and Kerala did not. In 2002 the Bar Council of Kerala Trust set up the National Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), affiliated to Cochin University of Science and Technology, which already had a long-established law school.
At the Bar Council’s request the Kerala Legislature then passed the National University of Advanced Legal Studies Act – Act 27 of 2005 – which created the university and merged the institute into it. Kochi was chosen, Wikipedia notes, because it is the seat of the High Court of Kerala and Lakshadweep. The Chief Justice of the High Court of Kerala serves as Chancellor, and Wikipedia names Dr S. G. Bhat as founding Vice-Chancellor.
Timeline
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | NIALS set up by the Bar Council of Kerala Trust, affiliated to CUSAT | Wikipedia; NUALS |
| 2005 | NUALS Act (Act 27 of 2005) creates the university; classes begin at Kaloor; the NUALS Law Journal begins | NUALS; Wikipedia |
| 7 January 2006 | Inaugurated by Chief Justice of India K. G. Balakrishnan (reported in a Wikipedia version; not confirmed elsewhere) | Wikipedia archive |
| 2008 | Amendment streamlines the powers of university authorities and increases the state government’s role | NUALS |
| 2011 | Move to the permanent 10-acre campus in KINFRA Hi-Tech Park, Kalamassery | Wikipedia; NUALS |
| 2020 | Wins the Stetson International Environmental Moot | Wikipedia |
| 2023 | Wins the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot | Wikipedia |
| 2025 | Prof. (Dr.) G. B. Reddy becomes Vice-Chancellor | Wikipedia |
| 2026 | Richard R. Baxter Award for best applicant memorial at the Jessup Moot | Wikipedia; LiveLaw |
Wikipedia’s current text gives only the years for the 2005 Act and the 2011 move. We give exact days only where a source states them.
Kaloor years and the move to Kalamassery
For its first years NUALS had no campus of its own. Classes were held at the Government Girls’ High School campus at Kaloor, in the city. In 2008 an amendment to the Act streamlined the powers of the university’s authorities and gave the state government a more active role, according to the university.
The permanent campus came in 2011: a 10-acre plot inside the KINFRA Hi-Tech Park at Kalamassery, the same park that later took in Kerala Startup Mission’s technology zone. The university’s contact listings say it started functioning there in the 2011–12 academic year. Wikipedia says the university was dedicated to the nation by K. G. Balakrishnan while he was Chief Justice of India; the date is not given. For the park around it, see the KINFRA Hi-Tech Park history, and for today’s layout, the NUALS campus guide.
A small university with a big moot record
NUALS is small – Wikipedia puts its student body at around 500 – and admits undergraduates and LLM students through the Common Law Admission Test run by the Consortium of National Law Universities; see our CLAT and NUALS admission guide. Its reputation has been built largely through moot courts.
Wikipedia records that NUALS reached the semifinals of the Stetson International Environmental Moot in 2019 and won it in 2020; won the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot in 2023, becoming the second Asian law school and the only South Asian one to do so; and in 2026 won the Richard R. Baxter Award for the best applicant memorial and the Cherif M. Bassiouni Award at the Jessup Moot, as LiveLaw also reported. The university now hosts national moots of its own – see visiting NUALS for a moot.
NUALS and the legal map of Kochi
The university was put in Kochi because of the High Court, and the proposed Judicial City for the High Court on HMT land at Kalamassery would bring the court much closer to the campus. As of October 2026 that plan was still before the Supreme Court.
Why it matters near the NAD signal
The NUALS campus is under a kilometre from the NAD Road signal, according to OpenStreetMap, which is why students, visiting mooters and interns look for rooms nearby. Ashraf Gents Hostel lists NUALS among the places within about 3 km on its public profile; it is a men-only hostel and PG with monthly and daily stays, and rates are confirmed on the call. See also PG options near NUALS and the Kalamassery history archive.
Frequently asked questions
When was NUALS founded?
It was created by Act 27 of 2005 of the Kerala Legislature, which merged the National Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, set up by the Bar Council of Kerala Trust in 2002.
Where did NUALS start?
Its first classes were at the Government Girls’ High School campus at Kaloor, Kochi.
When did NUALS move to Kalamassery?
In 2011, to a permanent 10-acre campus in the KINFRA Hi-Tech Park.
Who is the Chancellor of NUALS?
The Chief Justice of the High Court of Kerala.
How do students get into NUALS?
Through the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) run by the Consortium of National Law Universities.
Related guides
Sources
- Wikipedia: National University of Advanced Legal Studies
- NUALS: Who are we
- NUALS: Contact us
- Wikipedia archive (Kiwix, October 2023): NUALS
- LiveLaw: NUALS secures first at Jessup International Moot, wins best applicant memorial award
- OpenStreetMap: National University of Advanced Legal Studies
Facts about Ashraf Gents Hostel come from the hostel’s own profile and photos; rates are indicative and confirmed on the call. Last reviewed . How we write these guides: editorial notes. Map embeds © Google.
Cite this guide: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “NUALS History: Kerala’s National Law University since 2005.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/nuals-history/ Plain-text (Markdown) version · quoting with a link back is welcome.