Maneesha Gopal is an emerging legal scholar and aspiring human rights and climate activist with a keen interest in law, technology, and their intersection. Currently in the final year of her B.A. LL.B. course at Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram, she has demonstrated a strong passion for research and writing throughout her academic journey.
She completed her schooling at St. Mary’s HSS, Pattom, securing a perfect A+ in all subjects in 10th grade and an outstanding 99% in 12th grade in the Bio-Maths stream. Her love for science remains evident through her enthusiastic participation in the Certificate Course on Science, Technology, and Law, conducted by Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram, in 2022.
Academic Engagements
She has actively participated in numerous national and international conferences and webinars, presenting research papers at several prestigious events, including:
- International Workshop on Interdisciplinary Approach to Climate Change Law (February 27-28, 2025) – Organized by the Indo-Dutch Research Centre on Climate Change Laws, jointly hosted by Government Law College, Ernakulam, and Van Vollenhoven University, Netherlands.
- International Conference on Balancing Intellectual Property Rights – Hosted by VITSOL, Chennai, in collaboration with Salzburg University, Pacific McGeorge Law School, and CBS – Copenhagen.
- International Conference on Emerging Jurisprudence of Freedom – Organized by School of Indian Legal Thought, Kottayam.
- National Seminar on Federalism – Conducted by Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram.
Publications
Maneesha has contributed extensively to legal scholarship, co-authoring and publishing articles in reputed journals, including:
- “Judicial Adjudication and AI” – Published in a journal with ISBN No. 978-93-340-2161-5 (Central University of Kerala).
- “Constitutional Right to Privacy and Its Implication on Data Protection Laws” – Published in LJRF Voice, analyzing privacy concerns in the era of AI-driven surveillance and data analytics in the context of the DPDP Act. Read here: LJRF Voice
Certificate Courses
She has pursued several certification programs to expand her knowledge base, including:
- Certificate Course on Science, Technology, and Law – GLCT
- Certificate Course on Data Privacy – Into the Legal World
- UNCITRAL International Commercial Arbitration
- IBM Winter Certification
- Certificate Course on Environmental Law
- Certificate Course on Criminology and Forensic Science – LJRF
Professional and Editorial Experience
Maneesha’s association with LJRF began with her participation in the Addon Course on Criminology and Forensic Science in 2023. Since then, she has served as an Editor Trainee, authoring numerous articles, including a notable piece on the Right to Privacy and the Indian Constitution. She has also published reports on various events and hosted multiple webinars.
In addition, she conducted an exclusive interview with Dr. Rhea Roy Mammen (Ph.D. in Law, Postdoctoral Fellow, Van Vollenhoven Institute, Leiden University, Netherlands) on “Analyzing the Evolving Landscape of Legal Education in India.” Watch the interview here: https://youtu.be/J_in1NDow08?si=mjnLmnEYWPqfwhrd
She is passionate about public speaking and has actively participated in debate competitions, including:
- SDM Mangalore -Lex Ultima Law Fest 2023
- Semi-Finalist at the Kerala Law Academy Law College Debate Competition on “Artificial Intelligence – Boon or Bane”
Also she has been part of the discussion conducted by Bharat Bhaavika Foundation – relating to the various legal aspects of the HEMA Committee report – Watch the discussion at- https://youtu.be/rWsODemPFVs?si=9V_Gp-_d738RLvaS https://youtu.be/bDNWH3as1Gk?si=Jf3DfYPu14Yzyvcf
Volunteering and Leadership
Being deeply committed to social causes she has contributed through various initiatives:
- Millennium Fellowship 2024 – A prestigious global program enabling college students to drive societal change and work towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Being a Millenium fellow, she worked with co- fellows from Kerala University GLCTVPM campus, on the project titled “ Ekatha Unnati” aiming to identify and address the issues faced by indigenous tribal Communities
- Volunteer for India – Served as a volunteer and Project Lead for the Project Climate Classroom, an initiative aimed at fostering climate awareness among youth.
- Young India Climate Community (Kerala Chapter) – Recently joined this platform to collaborate with young leaders on climate action initiatives.
