E-Paper
Pulse of law truly beats in trial courts: Justice Surya Kant
Justice Surya Kant cautioned against a growing trend among graduates of elite law schools to equate success with glamour rather than grounding themselves in the realities of legal practice
New Delhi: Supreme Court judge, Justice Surya Kant, who is set to take over as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI) in November, has urged young lawyers to look beyond the allure of the Supreme Court and corporate law firms, reminding them that the “true pulse of law” beats in the district and high court rooms where ordinary people seek justice.
Delivering the convocation address at the National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam, in Guwahati on Friday, Justice Kant cautioned against a growing trend among graduates of elite law schools to equate success with glamour rather than grounding themselves in the realities of legal practice.
“Too many students now equate success with proximity to glamour…They rush to secure placements at the highest court, overlooking opportunities in the trial courts or even the high courts, deeming them ‘lesser’. Yet it is precisely in those courtrooms -- amid the dust, the delays, and the human stories — that the pulse of law truly beats,” said the judge.
Justice Kant said that while ambition is not inherently wrong, the pursuit of prestige should never overshadow the pursuit of learning. “Many bright graduates can recite precedents but cannot prepare a petition; they know the architecture of constitutional theory but not the plumbing of justice delivery,” he remarked.
“The law’s deepest fulfilment lies not in its distance from the ordinary, but in its power to transform the ordinary through disciplined craft,” emphasised Justice Kant.
Encouraging the graduating students to “resist the temptation of status,” Justice Kant told them that the legal profession has an unerring way of rewarding genuine merit, perhaps not immediately, but inevitably. “Master your craft, and prestige will follow naturally,” he said.
Turning to the ethical dimensions of the profession, the judge urged the new lawyers to remember that law is “not an ordinary vocation, but a calling.”
“At its heart, the law is the moral scaffolding upon which our society stands,” he said, reminding students that success in law is measured not by material gain but by ethical weight.
The judge also expressed concern over a growing tendency among young lawyers to treat ethics as “elective” and integrity as “negotiable.” Too many, he said, shy away from pro bono work or legal aid, dismissing it as unprofitable. “They chase the security of a corporate desk over the satisfaction of service, forgetting that the law is at its noblest when it speaks for those who cannot afford its voice,” he added.
“There is no substitute for professional honesty. Your integrity will always remain your most enduring asset -- more valuable than any case you win or any zero you add to your pay slip. Cleverness may bring you applause for a season, but integrity earns you respect for a lifetime and even after you are long gone,” said Justice Kant.
The judge reminded the audience that the long arc of a legal career depends not on flashes of brilliance but on consistency of character. “Reputation is built not on the brilliance of argument alone, but on the consistency of character,” he said.
He also reflected on the role of National Law Universities in shaping ethical lawyers, noting that it was no coincidence that their chancellors are sitting chief justices of constitutional courts. “This model is not a mere administrative arrangement; it affirms that the spirit of justice must flow seamlessly from the courtroom into the classroom,” he said.
“The study of law is not a technical enterprise, but an honourable pursuit that carries the lofty ideals of fairness, courage, and public duty. When a judge presides over a law university, it is a reminder that every class you attend, every paper you write, and every statute you interpret ultimately serves the higher purpose of justice itself,” he told the graduates.
