Session #1 - Research and Writing Series: Constitutional Law Essays

This session of the Research and Writing Series featured Abhinav Ravi, winner of the 27th edition of the Annual H.M. Seervai Essay Competition in Constitutional Law (2024). The session focused on research and writing strategies for constitutional law essays, drawing on his experience of preparing the award-winning submission. Abhinav Ravi discussed the process of developing a long-form research essay from interpreting the competition question and defining the scope of inquiry to conducting literature reviews, structuring arguments, and revising drafts through feedback. Using his essay on fourth branch institutions in India as an example, he explained how his research initially focused on institutional design as a means of strengthening independent bodies such as the Election Commission and the Comptroller and Auditor General. Through deeper engagement with scholarship and institutional practice, the argument evolved to examine the limits of design in guaranteeing institutional independence, emphasising the role of political context, leadership, and institutional culture. The session also addressed broader aspects of legal writing, including topic selection, engaging with existing scholarship, refining arguments through feedback from academics and practitioners, and maintaining rigorous citation practices. The interactive discussion further explored strategies for structuring complex arguments, approaching technical subjects, and identifying viable research questions within constitutional law.