Dhir & Dhir Associates launches 6th Edition of Virtual Legal Marathon on ESG – A 24-Hour Live Research Lab

Building on five years of growing impact, Dhir & Dhir Associates has announced the Sixth Edition of its flagship initiative, the "Virtual Legal Marathon on ESG: A 24-Hour Live Research Lab".

Now firmly established as one of India's most distinctive experiential learning platforms for law students, the marathon continues to deepen engagement with the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) agenda through high-intensity, immersive legal research.

Since its launch in 2021, the initiative has drawn participation from thousands of aspiring legal professionals across more than 250 law colleges and universities in India. The marathon has been registered with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as part of the World Environment Day celebrations in previous editions, and the 2026 edition proudly aligns with UNEP's global campaign "“Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future" marking World Environment Day 2026 hosted by the Republic of Azerbaijan in Baku, with its central focus on climate change. The alignment reinforces the firm's enduring commitment to integrating sustainability into legal practice and education.

Speaking on the firm's continuing efforts to lead ESG dialogue in the legal space, Alok Dhir, Founder & Managing Partner, Dhir & Dhir Associates, remarked,

"Law does not exist in isolation from the world it serves. When glaciers retreat, when coastlines shift, when boardrooms are forced to confront climate liability, the legal profession must be ready, not as bystanders, but as architects of the response. That is the conviction behind this marathon. We are not simply training students to read the law; we are asking them to imagine how the law must evolve. If India is to lead the global ESG conversation, that leadership will be built in classrooms, in research labs, and in initiatives like this one. To every participant of the 2026 edition: bring your curiosity, bring your courage, and bring your conscience."

As with previous editions, the top 100 shortlisted registrants will be guided through a meticulously structured virtual research format developed by the ESG Advisory Desk of the firm. Over a 24-hour span, students will explore diverse ESG themes, with a special emphasis this year on climate law, just transition, carbon disclosures, and nature-based solutions, drafting reports and analysing real-world scenarios across industries.

All submissions are evaluated on originality, relevance, legal insight, and practical applicability. 30 participants will be awarded Internship Opportunities with Dhir & Dhir Associates. Winners will also receive certificates of achievement, subscriptions to Lex Witness, and the opportunity to co-author ESG research papers alongside the firm's mentors.

Commenting on the program's scale and evolution, Poonam Bisht, CEO, Dhir & Dhir Associates, said,

"Numbers tell part of the story: six editions, hundreds of campuses, thousands of students. But the real measure of this initiative lies in the alumni who now work in sustainability practices across the country, in the research papers that have shaped client conversations, and in the network of young lawyers who first met each other during a sleepless 24-hour sprint. That is the legacy we are building. The marathon has matured into something far larger than a single event; it is a community, a credential, and increasingly, a launchpad. My deepest appreciation to Sonal Verma and the ESG Advisory team for carrying that vision forward with such rigour."

The country's first ESG Advisory Practice Desk, led by Sonal Verma, Partner, has curated the content and structure for the 2026 edition. The research framework combines case law analysis, corporate ESG disclosures, and best practices drawn from international frameworks including the UN Sustainable Development Goals, GRI Standards, IFRS Sustainability Reporting Standards (ISSB), and emerging climate disclosure regimes such as BRSR Core in India.

"There is a common misconception that ESG is about compliance checklists and disclosure templates. It isn't. ESG is about asking harder questions: how value is created, who bears the cost, and what the law owes to the future. In 24 hours, we cannot make experts of our participants, nor do we try to. What we can do is unsettle assumptions, sharpen instincts, and place students inside the kind of complex, ambiguous problems that real ESG practice demands. The students who emerge from this marathon think differently about law, and that, more than any prize or certificate, is the outcome we care about," said Verma.