Law Jobs update by Akinchan Aggarwal, Advocate — B.A. (Hons.) Gold Medalist, LL.B. (University Rank 2), LL.M. (Dispute Resolution), UGC-NET, Ph.D. (Pursuing)
National Law University, Delhi has invited online applications for the post of IPR Chair Professor.
The point most readers will miss.
This is a Chair Professorship at a National Law University, and the instinctive assumption is that it is meant for career academics. It is not, or not only.
The University has laid down three independent routes to eligibility, and two of them require no academic post at all. A practising IP attorney of ten years qualifies. So does a retired senior officer of the IP Office. If you are in IP practice and have never taught, you are still within the field.
The last date is 16 August 2026.
Key Details at a Glance
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Institution | National Law University, Delhi |
| Name of the Post | IPR Chair Professor (full time) |
| No. of Posts | 01 (One) |
| Location | New Delhi |
| Upper Age Limit | A person above 70 years is not eligible |
| Mode of Application | Online, through the NLU Delhi careers portal |
| Last Date to Apply | 16 August 2026 |
Eligibility — The Three Routes
A candidate qualifies if he or she falls within any one of the following:
Route 1 — The academic route
- Has served as, or meets the eligibility criteria for serving as, a Professor or Associate Professor as prescribed by the UGC; and
- Possesses sufficient teaching and research experience in Intellectual Property Rights.
Note the wording carefully. It is not confined to those who have held the post — it extends to anyone who meets the criteria for it. That is a materially wider door than a conventional faculty advertisement.
Route 2 — The practitioner route
- Is an IP Attorney who has practised IPR law for a minimum of ten years; or
- Is any other professional who has gained significant recognition in the field of IPR, with not less than ten years of experience in that field.
Route 3 — The IP Office route
- Is a retired official of the IP Office under the CGPDTM, holding a doctorate, with a minimum of five years at Level 12 or above — such as Controller of Patents & Designs, Registrar of Trade Marks & Geographical Indications, or Registrar of Copyrights.
How to Apply
- Applications are to be submitted online through the University's recruitment portal.
- Apply here: careers.nludelhi.ac.in
- Official notification: Call for Application — IPR Chair (Full Time), NLU Delhi
- Official website: nludelhi.ac.in
Who Should Apply
A Chair Professorship is not an ordinary teaching post. It is created to place a recognised authority at the head of a subject area, and the appointment carries the standing of the University behind it. For anyone with a serious body of work in intellectual property, this is among the more significant positions to come open in Indian legal academia this year.
Three groups should look at it closely.
IP practitioners of ten years and more. The second route is the reason this advertisement is worth circulating widely. Senior patent and trade mark attorneys frequently assume that a Chair at a national law school is closed to them for want of a teaching record. On this notification it is not. If you have built a practice in prosecution, oppositions or IP litigation, you are eligible on the face of it.
Retired officers of the IP Office. The third route is drawn narrowly and deliberately — a doctorate plus five years at Level 12 or above, at the level of Controller or Registrar. The pool of people who satisfy it is small, which is precisely why those who do should apply. Few candidates can bring the perspective of someone who has actually decided oppositions and examined applications.
Academics in IP. The first route is the conventional one, and the phrase “or meets the eligibility criteria for serving as” a Professor or Associate Professor means that an established researcher who has not yet formally held the rank should not rule themselves out.
One practical caution. The window is short — the notification came into circulation on 11 August and closes on 16 August. A Chair application will normally require a full curriculum vitae, a list of publications, and details of professional standing, and that is not assembled comfortably in an evening. Anyone intending to apply should open the portal and read the requirements today rather than on the last day.
For more academic and institutional legal vacancies as they are notified, see our Law Jobs section.
Disclaimer: This post is published for information purposes only. The particulars set out above — including the eligibility routes, the age bar and the last date — are as reported from the call for applications issued by National Law University, Delhi. Candidates are advised to download and read the official notification on the University's website in full, and to satisfy themselves as to eligibility, remuneration, tenure and the applicable dates before applying. Lawizard is not connected with the recruiting institution and does not charge any fee in relation to any recruitment. Please read our Disclaimer for more details.
