Acknowledging the rapid evolution of law with emerging areas like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data privacy, Chief Justice of India Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai on Saturday advised young lawyers to maintain a strong foundation.
“The strongest minds are not those who chase every trend, but those who can explain a fundamental, fundamental concept with clarity, precision and insight,” the CJI said while speaking at the 22nd annual convocation of the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (Nalsar) University of Law at Justice City in Hyderabad.
Sharing a few thoughts with realism and practicality, the CJI said the legal profession is noble, is important, but never easy and that there is no straight path or guaranteed returns. The profession demands that you constantly prove yourself, to the court, to your clients, to your peers, and often to yourself, he said.
‘Law demands your persistence’
“It demands, and it keeps demanding. You will be measured constantly, not by judges and clients, but often by your own inner voice. You will question your path. You will be questioned. You will be overlooked. You will feel invisible, and yet you will keep showing up, because that’s what law demands, your presence, your persistence, your belief in those moments, you will also find flashes of clarity, purpose and winning,” the judge said.
Justice Gavai also warned the graduating lawyers that the profession can be “isolating and emotionally taxing.” He continued, “The hours are long, the expectations high, the culture sometimes ruthless. You will feel pressure not just to succeed, but also to appear to be successful. Many hide their struggles. I urge you not to. Find your community.”
According to Justice Gavai, two things could keep young students on a forward path in this struggle. “The first is being grounded with the basics of law and being consistent in learning… Remember this, there is no short shortcut to knowing the law. There is no alternative to knowing the basics as well,” he said.
The second thing, according to him, is “mentorship”, to learn from the experience of others. “Let me say this with honesty. I am here today, not just because I worked hard. Yes, efforts mattered, but so did the fact that someone opened a door for me, someone who saw something in me before I could see it in myself. That act of belief, of support, of sharing wisdom changed my life,” he said as he appealed to all seniors in the room that mentorship is not a favour but a responsibility.
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The CJI told the graduates to become mentors themselves one day. “That is how we build not just careers, but a community of care within the profession, one that uplifts, not one that intimidates.”
‘Foreign degree alone not a stamp of worth’
He also spoke of the pressure to pursue a master’s degree abroad. “A foreign degree alone is not a stamp of your worth. Don’t take this decision in a reflex of thought or under your peer pressure. What happens next? Years are in debt, anxiety, career decisions made under financial burden. Do not mistake urgency for progress… There is no age bar to learn” At the same time, he said that it is not that talent does not want to return to the country. According to him, many who study abroad come back with renewed passion and fresh perspectives, but when they return, they often find our institutions unwelcoming, under-resourced or closed to new ideas.
The CJI said “this must change if you want to keep our best minds or bring them back, we must build nurturing academic environments, offer transparent and merit-based opportunities, and, most importantly, restore dignity and purpose to Legal Research and Training in India.”
The country needs to invest not only in institutions but also “in imagination, in mentorship programmes, research fellowships, policy labs, local innovation ecosystems, and ethical workplaces that make our best minds want to stay or return is also important, because our country and our legal system are facing unique challenges.” He said that even though the legal system was in bad need of fixing, he remained cautiously optimistic that fellow citizens will rise to the challenges.
