Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Sunday urged young lawyers to view the legal profession as a craft that demands patience, integrity, and steady commitment, rather than a shortcut to quick success. Addressing students at the first convocation ceremony of Dr B.R. Ambedkar National Law University, Sonipat, the Chief Justice said the law ultimately rewards those who respect its pace and practise it with conscience.
Describing law as “not a sprint, but a long and deliberate journey”, the CJI said aspiring lawyers were entering the profession at a time when its relevance was unquestioned, but expectations had grown sharper due to technological disruption, economic complexity, expanding rights discourse, and heightened public scrutiny.
He noted that modern lawyers are expected not only to argue effectively in court but also to advise clients responsibly. Emphasising the role of the younger generation, Justice Kant said the profession looks to them “not merely to adapt, but to elevate standards”.
“It looks to you to restore confidence where it has weakened, to introduce innovation without eroding principles, and to practise law with both competence and conscience,” he said, adding that such expectations should be seen as a vote of confidence rather than a burden.
Reflecting on the nature of early professional life, the Chief Justice observed that young lawyers often spend more time observing than arguing, and learning more than earning. According to him, the profession tests not only ability but also temperament, especially the capacity to remain steady when progress is slow or invisible.
Justice Kant reminded students that many of the finest lawyers and judges did not begin their careers with advantage or certainty. Their growth, he said, was gradual and often unnoticed.
“What distinguished them was not early acclaim, but consistency, the discipline to show up, to prepare thoroughly, and to improve incrementally, even when no one seemed to be watching,” he noted.
He advised young lawyers to allow their formative years to build resilience and perspective rather than resentment and impatience, stating that such an approach would serve them well over decades.
Reiterating the centrality of integrity, the Chief Justice described it as the single quality that sustains a lawyer through professional uncertainty. He said integrity reveals itself quietly through everyday conduct — in presenting facts honestly, advising clients fairly, treating opponents with respect, and resisting the temptation of easier but unethical choices.
“Over the years, I have seen lawyers of exceptional intellect falter when trust was compromised, and others, who began with modest credentials, rise steadily because their word was dependable,” he said, reminding students that reputation often precedes a lawyer into the courtroom.
Justice Kant also cautioned graduates that while their years at law school focused on statutes, judgments, doctrines, and legal reasoning, the profession would continue to teach them — often in sterner ways — through clients, institutions, conflicts, and consequences.
On the idea of success, the CJI said it could mean different things to different people, such as professional recognition, financial stability, or public service. While none of these goals were unworthy, he urged graduates to seek a deeper measure of success.
“The satisfaction of having done your work honestly; of having contributed to fairness; of having stood by principle even when it was inconvenient,” he said, expressing hope that young lawyers would anchor change in enduring legal values as they navigate a transforming profession.
