Supreme Court Judge Justice Surya Kant expressed concern over many talented young lawyers avoiding pro bono and legal aid work, preferring lucrative corporate roles. “Success in law is measured by ethical weight, not money,” he emphasized.
Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant expressed his disappointment regarding the tendency of many talented young lawyers to avoid pro bono and legal aid work, opting instead for more lucrative corporate positions.
He urged emerging lawyers to regard law not just as a career path, but as a higher calling, emphasizing that “success in the legal field is defined not only by financial rewards but also by ethical weight.”
Justice Kant remarked,
“Please do not mistake the law for an ordinary vocation. It is, at its heart, a calling. And unlike most other occupations, success is not measured merely by arithmetic gain but by ethical weight,”
He stressed that the true essence of law is realized when it provides a voice to those who cannot afford legal representation.
He stated,
“Too many bright minds, full of promise, shy away from pro bono work or legal aid, dismissing it as an unprofitable or peripheral activity. They rather chase security of a corporate desk over the satisfaction of service, forgetting that the law is at its noblest when it speaks for those who can’t afford its voice,”
Justice Kant delivered these remarks during the 3rd Convocation Ceremony of the National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam (NLUJA), held at the International Auditorium in Panjabari, Guwahati.
He expressed concern about the changing professional attitudes among young lawyers, noting an observed “quiet anxiety” and a “growing tendency to treat ethics as elective and integrity as negotiable.”
Justice Surya Kant said,
“In recent years, I have often sensed a quiet anxiety among young members of the Bar and a growing tendency to treat ethics as elective and integrity as negotiable,”
He reminded the graduates that professional honesty is the bedrock of the legal profession, far surpassing financial success or temporary accolades.
He emphasized,
“Your integrity will remain always your most enduring asset, more valuable than any case you win or any zero you further add to your payslip. Cleverness may bring applause for a season, but it is the integrity that will earn respect for a lifetime and even after you are long gone,”
Justice Kant highlighted that a lawyer’s reputation is built over time through consistent character rather than the brilliance of a single argument.
He noted,
“In the long arc of a legal career, reputation is built not only on the brilliance of argument alone but on the consistency of character,”
Regarding the state of legal education in India, Justice Kant pointed out the disparities in infrastructure across various institutions.
“The landscape of legal education in India remains deeply uneven. I have observed firsthand how some campuses radiate innovation and confidence while others continue to struggle against limitations of infrastructure, faculty strength or vision.”
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