Chief Justice of India Surya Kant urges young lawyers to practise law with patience and integrity, stressing that the legal profession rewards perseverance, ethical conduct and consistent effort rather than shortcuts to success or quick recognition.
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CHANDIGARH: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Sunday emphasised that the legal profession rewards patience, integrity and consistent effort, stating that law is not a sprint but a long and deliberate journey. He urged young lawyers to treat law as a craft to be carefully learned and ethically practised, rather than a shortcut to success.
The CJI was delivering the keynote address at the first convocation ceremony of Dr B.R. Ambedkar National Law University (DBRANLU), Sonipat.
Addressing graduating students, Justice Kant noted that young lawyers are entering the profession at a time when its relevance is unquestioned, but expectations are higher than ever due to technological disruption, economic complexity, expanding rights discourse and increased public scrutiny.
“Lawyers today are expected not only to argue effectively, but also to advise responsibly,”
he said.
He added that the profession looks to its youngest members to restore public confidence, introduce innovation without compromising principles, and practise law with both competence and conscience.
“This expectation is not a burden; it is a vote of confidence,”
the CJI remarked.
Justice Kant reminded students that every generation inherits the legal profession shaped by its predecessors, but also carries the responsibility of renewal.
“Your generation will be judged not merely by how effectively it navigates change, but by how thoughtfully it anchors that change in enduring legal values,”
he said.
He cautioned that efficiency should never undermine fairness, and innovation must not dilute accountability, especially during moments of professional pressure.
Highlighting the realities of early legal practice, the CJI acknowledged that young lawyers often spend more time observing than arguing, and learning more than earning.
“The profession tests not only ability, but temperament — the capacity to remain steady when progress is not immediately visible,”
he said.
He noted that many of the finest lawyers and judges did not begin their careers with advantage or certainty, but rose steadily through patient preparation, discipline and consistency.
“What distinguished them was not early acclaim, but the habit of showing up, preparing thoroughly and improving incrementally — even when no one was watching,”
he added.
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Justice Kant identified integrity as the single most important quality that sustains lawyers through uncertainty.
“Integrity does not announce itself. It reveals itself silently — in how you present facts, advise clients, treat opponents and respond when the easier option tempts you,”
he said.
He warned that even lawyers of exceptional intellect falter when trust is compromised, while others with modest beginnings rise steadily because of their honesty and dependability.
“Long before you enter a courtroom, your reputation arrives ahead of you,”
he told the graduates.
Reminding students that learning does not end with graduation, the CJI said the law would continue to teach them in sterner ways, through clients, institutions, conflicts and consequences.
On the meaning of success, Justice Kant said it varies for each individual, whether professional recognition, financial stability or public service.
“None of these are unworthy goals,” he said, adding that young lawyers should also pursue a deeper measure of success, the satisfaction of working honestly, contributing to fairness, and standing by principles even when inconvenient.
Concluding his address, the CJI reiterated that the legal profession ultimately recognises those who respect its pace and values.
“The law rewards those who treat it not as a shortcut to success, but as a craft to be learned carefully and practised with integrity. Those who remain committed, curious and sincere often find that the profession rewards them, sometimes later than expected, but in ways that endure,”
he said.
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