The 2nd NLIU Agreement Drafting and Presentation Competition, 2025, was organized by the NLIU Law Review to foster an understanding of the practical aspects of contract law. The competition aimed to provide participants with hands-on experience in contract drafting, incorporating relevant aspects of contract law and other related legal disciplines.
The competition was structured into two rounds: a preliminary round, where teams from law colleges across the country submitted a draft agreement and a concept note, followed by an oral presentation round. The top teams were shortlisted and invited to the NLIU campus to present their agreements before a distinguished panel of judges.
Saraf and Partners joined as the law firm partner, and the event was proudly sponsored by the State Bank of India (SBI). The competition was organized in collaboration with esteemed partners. Live Law served as the official media partner, while Manupatra was the official knowledge partner.
The competition witnessed overwhelming participation from law colleges across the country, with over 200 submissions received for the preliminary round. Following a rigorous evaluation process, the top teams were shortlisted for the oral rounds, where they demonstrated remarkable drafting and presentation skills.
During the oral rounds, participants were required to present and elaborate on their draft agreements, defending the rationale behind their contractual terms. The participants showcased exceptional legal understanding, strategic foresight, and analytical prowess in their responses.
The presentation rounds spanned two days, with the preliminary rounds conducted in the second half of the first day. These rounds were held across four courtrooms, each presided over by esteemed judges:
Courtroom 1: Dr. Manish Yadav (Associate Professor (ADR) and Deputy Director of the Distance Learning Department, NLIU Bhopal) and Mr. Suraj Singh (AVP, Mahindra Finance).
Courtroom 2: Mr. Harpreet Singh Gupta (Advocate, High Court of Madhya Pradesh) and Mr. Aditya Agrawal (Founding & Managing Partner, Eminence Political Advocacy Strategies (EPAS)).
Courtroom 3: Mr. Aishwarya Vardhan Sethi (Advocate, Madhya Pradesh High Court) and Mr. Rahul Maheshwari (Advocate, R.R. Maheshwari & Associates, Central Government Counsel).
Courtroom 4: Mr. Shreshth Singh Tomar (Co-founder, Jurisphere.ai) and Mr. Rohit Sharma (Advocate, High Court of Madhya Pradesh).
Following the preliminary rounds, the top four teams advanced to the final round. The finals were judged by:
Mr. Nikhil Varshney, Partner at a reputed law firm
Mr. Ankit Sahoo, Principal Associate, Saraf and Partners
Dr. Sachin Rastogi, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Law, Jagran Lakecity University, Bhopal
The final round posed increasingly complex challenges, requiring participants to demonstrate refined drafting skills, legal creativity, and the ability to navigate intricate contractual negotiations.
After the finals, two insightful sessions were conducted:
A session by Manupatra providing expert insights into legal research and contract law. Further the session also covered the benefits of “Manupatra Academy” courses.
A session by Saraf and Partners on “Nuances of Contract Drafting & Legal Research,” delivered by Mr. Ankit Sahoo, Principal Associate, Saraf and Partners.
The sessions were followed by a Valedictory Ceremony wherein participants were awarded under the categories of “Winners,” “Runners-Up,” “Second Runners-Up,” and “Best Written Submissions.” The ceremony was graced by Prof. Dr. Ghayur Alam, Senior Professor, NLIU Bhopal and Faculty Advisor, NLIU Law Review; Mr. Vivek Bakshi, Registrar, NLIU Bhopal; and Mr. Nikhil Varshney, Partner at a reputed law firm. During the ceremony, the winners of the 2nd NLIU Freshers’ Blog Writing & Presentation Competition were also awarded accolades for their commendable efforts in legal writing.
After a highly competitive and intellectually stimulating competition, the following participants were awarded:
Winners: Nakshatra Gujrati and Vishesh Bharadwaj (National Law University, Odisha)
Runners-Up: Garvita Garg (Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Visakhapatnam)
Second Runners-Up: Stuti Malik and Divya Balihar (Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur)
Best Draft & Presentation: Stuti Malik and Divya Balihar (Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur)
The following were the first-year students of the National Law Institute University, Bhopal who emerged as winners in the 2nd NLIU Freshers’ Blog Writing & Presentation Competition:
Winner: Samidha Jha
Runner-Up: Aanya Agrawal
Second Runners-Up: Dhruv Gandhi & Shubh Agarwal
