Scholarship is the communication, testing and stewardship of knowledge in the academic and public sphere. RALS convenes a year-round programme of forums where ideas are tested, assumptions challenged and knowledge shared. They bring together faculty, students, judges, practising lawyers, government officials, policymakers, international scholars and the public in conversations about the state of the law, the quality of justice and the part legal scholarship can play in meeting the challenges institutions face.
From 2027, all forums are planned in one annual RALS Convening Calendar, published at the start of each year. Every event has a clear purpose and produces a documented output, such as a recording, summary, report or publication.
Forums at a glance
Connecting Legal Scholarship, Public Dialogue and Community Engagement
RALS brings together scholars, judges, practitioners, policymakers and students through lectures, research forums, conferences and public scholarship initiatives. These platforms foster interdisciplinary exchange, advance legal research, strengthen engagement between academia and the justice sector, and make legal knowledge accessible to the wider community through publications, podcasts and public legal education.
Wisdom for Future Talk Series
The flagship lecture programme of RALS brings eminent international jurists, judges, arbitrators, scholars, practitioners and thought leaders into conversation with the JSW Law community. Speakers are identified on the advice of the Academic Council. The Strategy plans two talks a year, ten by 2031, each with a recording or summary. Lectures are open to the public wherever possible.
Distinguished Speaker’s Forum
Each year a leading figure in law, governance or public life addresses the law school and invited guests on a subject of national or international importance.
Faculty Forum
JSW Law faculty, including adjunct and visiting faculty and visiting scholars, present research completed or in progress in a supportive and intellectually honest setting. The Forum meets twice a year with at least three work-in-progress papers, and the Annual RALS Performance Report is launched there.
Faculty Roundtables
One or two faculty members present an analysis of a significant judicial decision, covering its reasoning, implications and wider legal significance. Roundtables build the habit of careful, critical reading of judgments.
Interdisciplinary Forum and LENS showcase
Scholars and practitioners from economics, technology, history, politics, science, medicine, culture, religion and the social sciences explore the relevance of their disciplines to legal questions. From 2028 the Forum hosts the annual LENS showcase of research from the law school’s centres and clinics.
Student Research Forum
Students present their best research, whether coursework, independent projects or journal submissions. Papers are first assessed by the Editorial Board, and the best are eligible for publication support and the Best Research Paper Award.
Visiting Scholar’s Forum
Each visiting fellow or scholar presents their work during their stay, so that the whole law school benefits from their presence.
Annual Justice Dialogue and the Lawyers/Judges Forum
One or two faculty members present an analysis of a significant judicial decision, covering its reasoning, implications and wider legal significance. Roundtables build the habit of careful, critical reading of judgments.
Special Research Forums and Special Guest Lectures
Special Research Forums address emerging issues of law and policy as they arise and, from 2029, include the annual K4 Corner legal history talk. The Special Guest Lecture Series accommodates scholars and experts visiting Bhutan who wish to share their research.
Annual Justice Dialogue and the Lawyers/Judges Forum
One or two faculty members present an analysis of a significant judicial decision, covering its reasoning, implications and wider legal significance. Roundtables build the habit of careful, critical reading of judgments.
Public scholarship
Making Legal Knowledge Accessible to All
RALS bridges the gap between legal scholarship and public understanding through accessible legal explainers, engaging podcasts and youth-led legal literacy initiatives. By translating complex legal concepts into clear, inclusive and multilingual content, these initiatives promote legal awareness, civic understanding and informed public engagement across Bhutan.
the public legal education initiative of RALS, led by student volunteers under faculty supervision. It produces explainers on laws and bylaws, guides to legal rights and procedures, infographics and short videos in English, Dzongkha, Tshangkha and Lhotsham. All content is checked by faculty before release and explains the law without giving legal advice.
a platform for research conversations, visiting scholar interviews, judicial perspectives and contemporary legal debates, recorded in the JSW Law studio established with initial equipment funding from the Department of Media, Creative Industry and Intellectual Property (DoMCIIP) of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment (MoICE). The series grows from at least six episodes in 2027 to sixteen a year by 2031.
under the auspices and direction of Her Royal Highness Princess Sonam Dechan Wangchuck, the Honourable President of the JSW School of Law, JSW Law student volunteers mentor secondary school law clubs in Paro and Thimphu to research, script and record episodes on the separation of powers, the electoral process, fundamental rights and duties, local governance, the rule of law and access to justice, each with a guest from public life.
Awards and recognition
Recognising Excellence, Inspiring Scholarship and Service
RALS celebrates excellence in legal research, mentorship, editorial contribution and student volunteerism. Through annual recognitions, research awards, public legal education awards and certificates of service, it encourages academic achievement, meaningful community engagement and a lasting commitment to legal scholarship.
Annual RALS recognition:
for outstanding research, mentorship, editorial service and student volunteering.
Best Research Paper Award:
for the best student research paper presented at the Student Research Forum (Research Centre Guideline, Annexure Q).
Student Social Media Award:
for the best student contribution to public legal education through social media and Legis Lumen (Annexure R).
Certificates of volunteerism:
for student research volunteers who complete one full academic year of service (Annexure P).