Justice Aravind Kumar questioned the trend of young lawyers taking weekends off, stressing that true success requires dedication and long working hours. He said commitment to the profession is essential and limiting work time can slow down learning and growth.
In an important interaction with the legal community, Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar advised young lawyers to build a strong work ethic, stay disciplined, and dedicate long hours to their profession, especially during the early years of practice. Speaking at the 5th Edition of the ICA International Conference, he raised concerns about the growing trend of young lawyers taking weekends off too early in their careers.
Justice Kumar stressed that success in the legal profession cannot be achieved by restricting working hours. He encouraged young advocates to remain fully committed and passionate about their work, explaining that consistent effort and dedication are key to growth.
Sharing his observations, he said,
“You should be wedded to your profession and only when you dedicate yourself to what you are doing, the results will be encouraging. And the answer is none else, myself. So I appeal to all the youngsters, taking off once. This is what I have seen in especially Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Sundays not working, Saturday evening taking off. In Bangalore, we had no holidays,”
he said.
Reflecting on his own early days at the Bar, Justice Kumar compared the current work culture with the past, where long working hours and minimal breaks were common. He highlighted how lawyers in Bengaluru used to work continuously with almost no holidays, saying,
“In Bangalore, we had no holidays. Only holiday was Sunday going at 4.30. Otherwise, we used to always work… earliest was 11.30, late was 1.30,”
he noted.
He further explained that reducing working hours too early in one’s career can impact learning and practical experience, which are essential for becoming a successful lawyer. To emphasise this point, he shared a personal story from his early practice involving an arbitration matter.
Despite having just gotten married, he chose to attend proceedings to continue learning and maintain his understanding of the case. Recalling the moment, he said,
“You got married day before yesterday and you are here,”
he recalled being told by the arbitrator.
Explaining his decision to attend work despite personal commitments, he added,
“I did not want to lose the flow of the reasoning… I wanted to learn.”
Justice Kumar also advised young lawyers to maintain honesty in their work and always show respect towards their seniors, highlighting that these values play a crucial role in building a successful legal career.
The session was moderated by Senior Advocate Amit Sibal and included distinguished speakers such as Alex Gunning, Amanda Lees, Tine Abraham, and Igor Gorchakov.
In another session of the same conference, Supreme Court judge Justice PK Mishra spoke about the increasing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in arbitration and legal processes. Addressing the topic of technology in dispute resolution, he described AI as “not merely an innovation but a necessity.”
Justice Mishra explained that AI tools are now widely used in tasks such as document review, legal research, and drafting, which helps improve efficiency and reduce costs in arbitration proceedings. However, he cautioned that AI cannot replace human judgment, as arbitration often involves balancing fairness, equity, and justice.
He also raised concerns regarding confidentiality and data security, noting that arbitration cases involve sensitive commercial information that may be at risk when processed through AI systems. According to him, while AI can be a powerful tool, it must always function under human supervision and follow principles like transparency, accountability, and fairness.
This session was moderated by Ganesh Chandru and featured global experts including Marc D Veit, Olga Boltenko, Mehak Oberoi, and Mayank Singh Thakur.
Overall, the conference highlighted two key messages for the legal fraternity—first, the importance of discipline, hard work, and continuous learning for young lawyers; and second, the growing but carefully balanced role of technology like AI in shaping the future of arbitration.
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Justice Aravind Kumar
