Building Justice from the Ground Up – After Five Successful Cohorts In Bihar & Karnataka, The Samvidhaan Fellowship Launches in Maharashtra

About Nyaaya
Nyaaya is an open-access digital resource that provides clear, actionable, and authoritative legal information in Indian contexts and multiple languages. Our mission is to bridge the information gap that prevents millions from understanding and claiming their rights. Through a mix of public-facing legal content and grassroots engagement, Nyaaya builds tools and networks that enable last-mile access to justice.

What is the Samvidhaan Fellowship?
The Samvidhaan Fellowship is a one-year paid program that embeds district-level lawyers in communities to expand access to justice for unrepresented people. The Fellowship combines legal aid, community awareness, strategic litigation, and collaborations with civil society and government actors. After running five cohorts in Bihar and Karnataka with measurable community impact, Nyaaya is now extending the Fellowship to Maharashtra.

Where the Fellowship will run
The initial cohort will work across:

• Mumbai (city)
• Mumbai Suburbs (Chembhur Specific) 
• Thane
• Palghar

We will begin in these geographies and, based on need and impact, progressively expand to additional districts in Maharashtra.

Who should apply
We invite applications from lawyers who:

• Have at least three years of litigation experience or sustained community-facing legal work.
• Are fluent in Marathi-Spoken / Written, Hindi and English
• Are committed to Women and child rights focused advocacy and protecting the rights of marginalised groups.
• Can work full-time or part-time for the duration of the one-year Fellowship.
• Are willing to travel within district(s) and engage closely with local institutions and communities.

Fellowship objectives and focus areas
Fellows will work to strengthen last-mile access to justice for women, children, and other vulnerable groups by:

• Building community legal awareness and rights literacy among women, children, frontline workers, and communities.
• Providing individual client counselling and case intake, including assistance with documentation and representation.
• Conducting strategic litigation and public interest interventions where systemic issues are identified.
• Supporting and training frontline workers (e.g., Anganwadi sevikas, ASHAs workers) on relevant legal rights and referral pathways.
• Working with women undertrial prisoners, survivors of violence, child survivors, children with disabilities, children in contact with law, domestic workers, and migrant workers.
• Mapping local ecosystems of legal and social support, and strengthening referral networks with NGOs, government departments, police, hospitals, and courts.

Key responsibilities for Fellows

• Conduct outreach and community mobilization to raise awareness of legal rights and entitlements.
• Provide individual legal counselling and follow-up, including drafting petitions, applications, and representation or referrals as needed.
• Facilitate training, legal literacy sessions, and capacity-building workshops for community members and frontline workers.
• Work with Nyaaya and partner organisations to design community-facing resources and materials in Marathi and English. 
• Participate in documentation, impact measurement, and periodic reporting.
• Cooperate with local partners to identify systemic barriers and design rights-based interventions.
• Maintain ethical standards, client confidentiality, and trauma-informed approaches while working with survivors and vulnerable groups.

Support and benefits for Fellows

• Monthly stipend (commensurate with experience and role, the details will be provided to shortlisted candidates).
• Equipments required for Samvidhaan Fellowship 
• Report to Nyaaya’s team and state-level managers..
• Opportunity to lead or participate in strategic campaigns and collaborative projects across Maharashtra.
• Training to handle the community and internal capacity building. 
• Non-hierarchical, cross-functional collaboration with Nyaaya’s teams in content, tech, design, and communications.

Selection process and timeline

• Application deadline: 09 August 2026 (23:59 IST).
• Shortlisting: Candidates will be screened based on CV, writing sample, and cover letter.
• Interviews: Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews (remote or in-person).
• Final selection and onboarding: Selected Fellows will be notified with details of induction and start dates.

How to apply
Please submit a single merged PDF containing:

1. Curriculum Vitae (maximum two A4 pages).
2. One original writing sample (up to 1,000 words) describing a project you contributed to that delivered positive change at the grassroots. Focus on your role, outcomes, and lessons learned or any Drafts submitted in the Hon’ble Court. 
3. A cover letter (no more than one page) explaining why you want to join the Samvidhaan Fellowship and your thoughts on strengthening access to justice in Maharashtra.

Apply through this form: Application Form Link

Queries and communication

• For queries only, email: contact@nyaaya.in  
• Use the subject line: Nyaaya Samvidhaan Fellowship_Maharashtra_<Your Name>.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Why join the Fellowship

• Directly improve legal access for marginalised communities across Maharashtra.
• Translate legal knowledge into practical, community-facing interventions.
• Build partnerships with government, law-and-order agencies, civil society, and academic institutions.
• Grow professionally through mentorship, collaborative projects, and exposure to strategic litigation and policy-level interfaces.
• Contribute to building a replicable model that strengthens the bridge between law and people.

Examples of potential project work (illustrative)

• Legal empowerment workshops and simplified resource packs for anganwadi sevikas to ensure entitlements for children and pregnant women are met.
• Legal aid and casework for women undertrial prisoners to expedite bail processes and ensure fair trial rights.
• Support for child survivors and children with disabilities to access welfare benefits, rehabilitation services, and legal protection mechanisms.
• Strategic interventions addressing systemic denial of entitlements for domestic and migrant workers.
• Legal awareness and alternate dispute resolution efforts to reduce preventable criminalisation of children.

Code of conduct and safeguarding
Fellows must adhere to Nyaaya’s safeguarding, confidentiality, and client protection policies. Work with survivors and children must follow trauma-informed practices and mandatory reporting guidelines as applicable.

Equal opportunity
Nyaaya is an equal opportunity organisation. We encourage applications from candidates across genders, caste, religion, and socio-economic backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from persons with disabilities and those from marginalised communities.

Location and travel
This Fellowship requires presence in the district(s) of work and regular travel across program locations. While some remote work is possible, fellows must be able to meet the travel and in-person requirements of community engagement and court work.

Contact and follow updates

• Application form: Link
• General queries: contact@nyaaya.in
• Visit Nyaaya:Website

Apply now and be part of a dedicated cohort of lawyers working to make justice accessible, understandable, and usable for everyone in Maharashtra.