Chief Justice of India Surya Kant called on young lawyers to look beyond courtroom victories and focus on strengthening India’s constitutional values. Addressing RGNUL graduates, he stressed integrity, compassion and curiosity as the pillars of meaningful legal careers.
Calling upon young lawyers to think beyond courtroom wins, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Tuesday urged graduating law students to see themselves as “nation-builders” who are responsible for strengthening India’s constitutional values, rather than merely becoming “case-builders” focused only on winning disputes.
The Chief Justice was delivering the convocation address at the Seventh Convocation Ceremony of the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Punjab. He said the legal profession today holds a very important position, especially at a time when India is developing rapidly, often faster than its institutions are able to adjust.
Explaining the difference between short-term legal success and long-term social impact, he said,
“A case-builder concerns himself with the dispute of the day. A nation-builder is concerned with what today’s dispute does to tomorrow’s society.”
Describing the Indian Constitution, the Chief Justice said it should not be seen as a fixed or completed document but as an evolving framework.
He called it an “unfinished blueprint” and explained that while courts interpret laws and institutions give them structure, it is young lawyers who give life to constitutional values through their everyday professional work.
He added that every generation receives the Republic with the responsibility to decide what shape it will take in the future.
Justice Surya Kant also pointed out that modern legal disputes no longer fit neatly into traditional categories. Today, contracts involve algorithms, property includes digital assets, families are spread across different countries, and environmental cases are becoming urgent races against time.
In this changing landscape, he said lawyers are not expected only to argue cases in court but also to understand social consequences, give responsible advice, create innovative solutions, and bring a human touch to the law.
Emphasising the role of young lawyers in judicial reforms, the Chief Justice said reforms cannot be implemented by judges alone. Ideas like mediation, court modernisation, and a unified judicial policy will remain only on paper unless the younger generation takes them forward.
He said,
“Words spoken from the Bench acquire meaning only when young minds convert them into action,”
and described law students as the judiciary’s most valuable human resource.
The Chief Justice also issued a strong warning against reducing legal practice to mere technical compliance. Drawing a clear ethical distinction, he said,
“A nation-builder asks what kind of system is being strengthened by the way a case is won.”
He cautioned that winning cases without fairness may bring short-term success but can slowly destroy public trust in the justice system and weaken its legitimacy.
While speaking about what makes a meaningful legal career, the Chief Justice highlighted three core values—integrity, compassion, and curiosity—as essential guiding pillars.
On integrity, he said it is not just a personal quality but the backbone of the justice system itself. He warned young lawyers that early in their careers they may face situations where taking ethical shortcuts may seem legally acceptable but morally troubling.
Such choices, he said, affect not only individual careers but also the credibility of the legal system as a whole.
He observed,
“Cunning may bring applause for a season, but integrity earns credibility for a lifetime.”
Speaking on compassion, Justice Surya Kant stressed that empathy does not weaken the law; instead, it often helps the law function better.
Referring to his experiences at both the Bar and the Bench, he said that strict procedural rigidity can sometimes increase suffering, while timely sensitivity can protect dignity without compromising legal principles.
He remarked,
“The law exists for people, not paperwork,”
and added that small, unseen acts of fairness are what keep people’s faith alive in the justice system.
The third pillar, curiosity, was described as extremely important in a fast-changing world where law increasingly overlaps with technology, science, and public policy. The Chief Justice said legal education should be treated as only the beginning of learning, not its end.
He warned that lawyers who stop learning soon become irrelevant and urged students to embrace technology while ensuring that human judgment remains central to justice delivery.
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In a lighter moment, the Chief Justice fondly recalled his time on the RGNUL campus, mentioning student traditions and informal rituals that form the emotional heart of legal education. He said such memories remind lawyers that law is ultimately a human profession rooted in real-life experiences.
Concluding his address, Chief Justice Surya Kant encouraged the graduating students to build careers firmly grounded in integrity, compassion, and curiosity so that future generations can inherit a stronger, more reliable, and more trustworthy legal system.
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