The Indian LegalTech Network (ILTN), in collaboration with vibecode.law, has officially commenced registration for the groundbreaking ILTN × vibecode.law Vibeathon 2026. This initiative marks a significant milestone as India embarks on its first ‘vibe-coding’ hackathon tailored specifically for the legal community. This event invites lawyers, law students, and other legal professionals to engage with AI-assisted coding platforms to develop practical tools aimed at resolving challenges within legal practice.
The Vibeathon is set to run over a three-week period, with the deadline for submissions being 5 PM IST on September 11. Participants are encouraged to join regardless of their prior coding experience, as the format is designed to be inclusive. The concept of ‘vibe coding’ involves using AI to translate natural language descriptions into functional software code, thus empowering participants to create, adjust, and enhance their projects with minimal technical background.
This competition provides an exciting opportunity for legal experts to tackle real-world legal issues and create viable solutions using AI-driven development platforms. Trilegal, a prominent legal firm, is backing this initiative with a generous prize pool of ₹1.5 lakh, which will be distributed as ₹75,000 for the first-place team, ₹50,000 for the second-place team, and ₹25,000 for the third-place team. Additionally, Trilegal will extend internship opportunities to law students who are part of the victorious team.
The judging panel for the Vibeathon boasts a lineup of industry leaders, including Dipti Sharma, Head of Legal Technology at Trilegal; Komal Gupta, Chief Innovation Officer at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas; Rahul Chhabra, Director of Applied AI at Herbert Smith Freehills; Sateesh Nori, Chief Legal Futurist at LawDroid; and Spriha Bhandari, Assistant Professor of Legal Practice at Jindal Global Law School. These judges bring a wealth of experience and knowledge, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of participants’ innovations.
The initiative aims to bridge the gap between recognizing issues in legal practice and possessing the technical prowess to convert these issues into practical software solutions. The emergence of AI-assisted development tools has significantly lowered the technical barriers, making tool creation accessible to individuals without a coding background. The Vibeathon seeks to demonstrate the potential of this approach within the Indian legal sector, offering participants three weeks to identify and implement solutions to pressing legal challenges.
All project submissions will be featured on vibecode.law, an open community platform that debuted earlier in 2026. This platform was co-founded by Chris Bridges of Tacit Legal, Matt Pollins of Lupl, and Alex Baker of Legal Tech Collective, serving as a hub for innovation and collaboration.
To participate, teams must consist of at least one lawyer, in-house counsel, or law student, though solo entries are also accepted. The competition is exclusively open to Indian nationals. For those interested in joining the Vibeathon, registration details and further information can be accessed here.
