Okay, hear me out: I am an NLU grad, so I cannot have seen the other side of the coin since no one (in their sane mind) does two undergraduate law degrees. I am genuinely curious as to how much the difference will be, especially pedagogically speaking. Here are some thoughts:

1. If the primary value of NLU degrees lie in the alumni networks, then there is nothing about the NLUs that are special; it is the age of the institution that is. That is why one can see so many people going to Russell/Ivy League universities from universities like DU, Punjab University etc. Then there is no such thing as the value of an 'NLU degree' but the value of alumni reputation, which half the NLUs do not have. So NLUs are nothing special.

2. If the primary value of NLU degrees lie in the pedagogical approaches, then it has to be the teachers of an institution that matters. By that metric, why would JGLS, ICFAI law school, DU etc. again not be better than practically all NLUs except a couple? Again, then there is no value in 'NLU degrees' but in individual teachers that are temporally restricted (they have to retire some day). Would the value cease to exist when the teachers retire? For example, would the NYU law school not be prestigious if all faculty were to suddenly resign? It still would, since the value of NYU is not based on the teachers itself. Also, bad teachers with an innovative approach could literally be worse than good teachers with a traditional approach; just in case one were to point out the innovations in the 5-year LL.B. approach.

3. If the primary value of NLU degrees lie on the quality of students that gain admission into the universities, then what makes CLAT admissions so special as opposed to top tier colleges in DU, for example? A student with a B.A. from SRCC and LL.B. from a top DU college would have to have been academically brilliant throughout their life, not just ace a two hour exam. Then again, the value is not of 'NLU degrees' but that of a couple of NLUs where the crème de la crème of CLAT goes, and other universities where the crème de la crème of other academic merit standards go.

I am having a hard time justifying the moral superiority that is spewed across LI on the value of NLU degrees. What makes them so much better than other degrees?

I dont think moral superiority is justified, in the hiring space, its just convenience because there's some pre selection if you look at the higher nlus, upto say GNLU, NLIU. Nothing about the intrinsic quality per se, some mid tier nlus will probably have equally intelligent kids, but the grooming a certain kind of senior and alumni base helps with. They occupy the spaces you aspire to already and can train you that way. I don't think anyone sane argues a dsnlu is better than jindal or an SRCC law fac combo.

It is pretty evident. The institutions have the best and most intelligent students from around the country based on a highly selective exam and they, to quote hon'ble ex chief justice Bobde they eschew parochialism. No other private/public law University has the standard of students the NLUs do. Please look at the recruitment, mooting and publication stats.

Lol kid, I don't even know where to begin with you but let me just address a few things about the merits of what you said -

i. Sure, the students who make it through to the top few NLUs need to demonstrate a basic degree of competence in CLAT but that's the extent of it. It is a very easy exam that barely requires intense preparation of the kind other entrance exams for engineering and medicine do, and is attempted by a fraction of the students that give other said entrance exams. It's also largely based upon chance. I know of a fair number of people (outside our college too) who got top ranks in CLAT but failed to get an equivalent rank in AILET (even after accounting for the far lesser number of applicants for the AILET). Similarly, I know of people who got into NLUD but couldn't even make it to HNLU, NLUO and the likes (not that those colleges are bad but you get what I mean, I hope). So your claims of best minds from around the country might be divorced from reality, I am afraid. I don't mean to put you down, and every achievement ought to motivate us to do better, but don't base your self worth on your CLAT rank or college - there's a lot more to your legal career than just that.
ii. As for your claims of moots, etc., I understand there are arguments to be made about overall batch achievements but you ought to look at how well some kids in Jindal are doing. They've done better than our college in some moots and have a fair number of publications as well. Which is to be expected considering the amount they invest in faculty remuneration to get the best there is (including alums from our college). This combination of talent and family connection that some Jindal kids have, will leave others in the dust. Similarly, some kids from Symbiosis Pune have also demonstrated a significant degree of competence in my experience.
iii. There is not much parochialism being eschewed in law schools, and you realize that soon enough once you're actually there and see people up close. I understand why you'd blindly fall for Bobde's words with him being an ex-CJI but, in case you have the pleasure of doing offline college, trust me, it's going to include a lot of visits to SDL (if it's still open,) the old city and returns therefrom in a stupor. I'll be glad if the college suddenly becomes an island of parochialism being eschewed but that was never the case when I was there (and my batch and preceding batches did rather well for themselves but still my statement stands in light of the facts). Also, I'd be fairly vary of the words of a guy who literally cannot keep his pants up in public besides seemingly abandoning the functions of his office. When you read more law and assess judgements in that light, you might realize what I mean.

I hope the above is a clarification at least in some regard. I have no intent to "rebut" you, that would indicate me caring about this far too much lol - this is merely me bored and rambling after a fair few JDs. This is merely me providing my POV as an alum to a current student. Feel free to disagree but you'll see the world of the ways soon enough.

Also, I've seen some of my colleagues from private universities be far better at some things than I am - and, even if I do say so myself, I've done fairly well for myself considering I work with one of the top teams in the country when it comes to my practice area. So, once you're out of a law school, it's all down to your competence and ability to perform in high stress situations. Build your self worth on your individual achievements and not just associational pride. In case you do that already, I'll be glad to see kids from my alma mater on the right track to success.

A rejoinder:

1. It is well known in corporate and litigation circles that jindal and symbi kids do not perform as well as NLU students despite their family influences and wealth. These are facts and I myself come from a law background. These colleges merely cater to the elite of the elite in the country. NLUs on the other hand are extremely diverse and the peer group is unmatched in the sense that people have to work hard as they do not have family money to fall back on.

2. Placements from these private institutes have not matched the top 5 NLUs. This is a fact. They can't place even 50% of their huge batches, while NLUJ and other NLUs have a stellar record (including foreign firms) in this regard.

3. Even in terms of academia, these institutions have not produced any names. NLU graduates (at least from the top 5) have been making waves domestically and even abroad.

I would like to read your follow up. But NLUs offer clear advantages over any other college.

There is nothing special but in certain respects NLUs are better than TLCs

1. smaller class size

2. More focused teaching

3. better infrastructure

4. better students

5. instilling an institutional pride/superiority which becomes self fulling/confirmatory

Hey, I don't think the superiority is justified, but against other law colleges, this are the things I think make top NLUs better.
1. The students who come in to these colleges top their respective entrances and this gives them a massive confidence boost. Just because I top CLAT does not mean I am smart - it is probably a combination of privilege, luck, hard work and smarts to an extent. But at 17, being told that you are 'better' than 10000 other kids your age is a massive confidence boost that carries you for a couple of years. This confidence translates into a lot of things - aspiring for 'better' things, holding your own against seniors and prospective employers, believing in yourself (this is severely underrated). Which is why at many internships, your NLS NLUD kids are going to ask for work and often get it. This confidence carries for at least a couple of years. So while in college when you fail at things (and everyone fails at something - could be a course, a moot, an internship) but the confidence lets you pick yourself up.

2. The Teachers and teaching pedagogy is probably better. When you have some of the most relevant people in a subject teaching you, you are motivated to study that course or engage with that area of law. There is a lot of freedom at the top colleges. Even with the average teachers, being able to ask a lot of questions is valuable. The teachers might not answer but being able to consistently think and vocalise is a valuable skill to develop. Your classmates are often able to answer your questions. The freedom to choose your projects and work on it for a couple of months is a huge plus.

3. The other factors you mentioned, like alumni network, institutional reputation are also beneficial.

This is a legit convincing and well thought-out answer. I am particularly fascinated by your confidence boost argument - because as we know from gender studies, that is indeed empirically true. A sense of confidence does indeed make men aspire and take chances on better things while women self-select themselves out; assuming that they both have equal merit and all other things are equal.