The National Law University, Delhi (NLUD) is a premier public law university and an institution of excellence in legal education, established in 2008 in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. It was created by the National Law University, Delhi Act, 2007 (Delhi Act No. 1 of 2008), following recommendations from the Chief Justices' Conference (1993) and the All India Law Ministers' Conference (1995) to establish institutions modeled on the National Law School of India University, Bangalore. The university was founded to improve the quality of professional legal education and research in the region.
The National Law University, Delhi Act, 2007, provides for the Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi to function as the university's Chancellor, and the Chief Justice of India or a Senior Supreme Court Judge of their choice to be the Visitor. NLUD offers a five-year integrated B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) degree, a one-year LL.M., and Ph.D. programs.
A key distinction is that NLUD is the only major National Law University that does not accept the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) scores for its undergraduate admissions. Instead, it conducts its own separate entrance examination, the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET), for admission to its B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) and LL.M. programs. This independent admission process, maintained since its inception in 2008, allows NLUD to retain autonomy over its selection criteria and ensure it admits students who prioritize the institution. NLUD is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Bar Council of India (BCI).