Write Folks! 

 

Remember the first time you held a pencil?

 

I don’t.

 

But I do remember the first time I held a pen. I was in Grade 5. And Grade 5 meant an upgrade: we were finally allowed to move from pencils to the much-anticipated ink pen. Then came Grade 8, I think, when ink pens were gradually replaced by dot pens.

 

As we moved forward, so did the tools. Plastic keyboards became part of our everyday lives. And today, even the humble act of writing is being reimagined through new technologies and innovations.

 

Yet, whatever comes to our desks, our hands, or our screens, one thing has remained remarkably constant: we write.

 

The tools have changed. The medium has changed. Technology has changed.

 

But writing has always been part of who we are, despite enjoying it or not. 

 

As a law student, I had always tried to meditatively understand the mechanical algorithms of IRAC, FIRAC, and CRACK. I would dwell in the new galaxies of legal argument (it is pretty different from the way I used to write, hence ‘new galaxies’) that these frameworks seemed to create.

 

It is fun. Not necessarily because they made things clearer, but because they felt like something legal minds were supposed to learn. I do not dispute their value, though I accept that they are a part of ‘human-artifacts’ and have their own limitations . 

 

My primary observation upon first engaging with these frameworks was that they act as effective sieves, clearing away distractions that initially seem crucial but ultimately prove superficial. They shield you from convoluted, outwardly impressive arguments that offer little substantive payoff.

 

Since I started doing legal research, however, I have rarely, if ever, read a book in its entirety. Only after three years of legal research, I read a book in its entirety. 

 

This realization may or may not resonate with you, depending on where you stand in your legal academia, but the ‘general’ truth is that legal research seldom requires reading a complete book unless the work is genuinely exceptional. Instead, it pushes you to traverse vast expanses of text, extracting the essential without absorbing every page. Even when a full read is necessary, the approach remains selective. This aligns perfectly with the saying: “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested”. 

 

Again, it's empirical.

 

Then, how are these experiences relevant to KCL Blogs? 

 

Well, first and foremost, let me congratulate the Research committee for putting a great deal of time and energy into making this happen. An extended appreciation to Jeewita and Sujata for taking responsibility for this year. My expectation is that this Blog platform will continue forever. 

 

These experiences have led me to realize that as we tend to dwell into legal careers, we need to be clear headed. And writing makes you clear headed. 

 

Half your day is given to the world, listening, debating, and bridging philosophies across cultures and creeds, while the other half is spent alone, chasing footnotes and verifying facts, long after your social batteries have run dry. It's easy to get lost from your fundamentals, or from things that pushed you to join law.

 

Beyond merely documenting ideas, writing equips you to dissect your own reasoning and engage in fearless self-reflection within a protective framework. As a faculty member, I've found that sanctuary in KCL's blogging community, a space to honestly voice not only my professional successes but also the uncertainties that shape my legal journey.

 

As a faculty member at an emerging legal institution, I find our daily workspace consumed less by substantive legal debate and more by the machinery of administration. The corridors echo, more often than not, with student grievances, tussles between students-peers, malfunctioning smart boards, or the extreme workload of staff, rather than with probing questions like whether the single-door system for companies still holds water. 

 

That is the defining rhythm of a young institution: you build the ship while you're still learning to sail it.

 

KCL Blogs offers a vital release valve, a place where those nascent ideas, so easily drowned out by the daily churn of administrative tasks, can still find their voice before they slip away entirely. I sincerely hope my fellow faculty members will also see it as a safe harbor to candidly share their own perspectives and convictions.

 

Why KCL Blogs where there are many platforms to engage in, especially for students? 

 

A single social media post can spark virality and unlock financial windfalls. An incisive Reddit thread immerses you in a vast, anonymous community hungry for genuine engagement. A meticulously researched paper, calibrated to exacting academic standards, earns its place in a respected peer-reviewed journal. A content-writing role doesn't just pay the bills, it expands your professional network, boosts your visibility, and grants you backstage access to a limitless flow of global information.

 

And that's just the beginning. 

 

Personal blogs, newspaper editorials, magazine features, and fiery opinion pieces are all waiting for your voice. For anyone choosing to write, the platforms are practically many. 

 

KCL Blogs offers what many public platforms cannot: a genuine safe space. Social media, Reddit, and the broader content-writing landscape can feel overwhelmingly loud, even hostile, to many. For those who feel deeply and carry a strong empathetic core, throwing themselves directly into the arena of public scrutiny is no small feat. Hence, here you’ll find a safe space. 

 

Your article will be reviewed by the two Blog members: Jeewita and Sujata. Then, I’ll go through it. After going through the basics that have been provided to you in the guidelines, we’ll publish it. 

 

You might wonder: why impose guidelines on a platform that champions 'free-writing'? The paradox is intentional. True free-writing isn't about unchecked rambling, its highest expression lies in precision and clarity. It demands the discipline of good communication. And once you learn to examine your thoughts objectively, to dissect the ethos they carry, you're no longer just putting words on a page, you're ascending the next rung of the writer's ladder.

 

This isn’t a platform to create gossip, character assassinate someone, create a slippery slope argument, or to add on the varieties of ‘tea’ of your life. Hence, reasonable editorial interference can be expected for blogs that can cross these lines. 

 

Using AI will deteriorate the objective for creating this platform. Hence, use of AI usage is explicitly forbidden across this platform, whether for ideation, writing, editing, or any other purpose. This is a firm, non-negotiable rule with zero exceptions.

Even though we have recommended the area of writing blogs, ‘blogs’ by nature are more informal than that of any other platforms. Hence, we don’t limit to any area but expect your writing to have ‘association with law’. Something where we can say: ‘It has some form of legal element’. 

 

Imagine you've either had a poor experience with the District Administration Office, or you've identified a major flaw in the BALLB curriculum that you'd like to fix. On the other hand, if a legal discussion with your friends recently became especially thought-provoking, feel free to present it as a conversation script.

 

Don’t limit your instincts. Any time a legal question comes to mind, give yourself space to voice your own initial reactions before you delve into statutes, case law, or secondary research.

 

I hope to read what the beautiful legal minds of KCL have to offer! 

 

Hence, Write Folks! 

*** 

Ashish Poudyal
Department Head
DARLS