The Supreme Court of India today elevated 39 lawyers to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocates, a significant honor in the legal profession. Out of the newly designated Senior Advocates, 10 are women, marking an important step towards greater gender representation in the upper echelons of the Indian legal system.
The decision was finalized during a full court meeting held earlier in the day. The selection of these lawyers reflects their exemplary contributions to the legal field and their standing within the profession.
The full list of lawyers who have been conferred the gown is as follows:
1. Abhimanyu Bhandari
2. Dr. Anindita Pujari, Advocate-on-Record
3. Aniruddha Anant Joshi
4. Aparna Bhat TG, Advocate-on-Record
5. Ashok Panigrahi, Advocate-on-Record
6. Davinder Pal Singh
7. B Balaji, Advocate-on-Record
8. Bansuri Swaraj
9. Gaurav Sharma, Advocate-on-Record
10. Indra Sawhney, Advocate-on-Record
11. Kavita Jha, Advocate-on-Record
12. Kawaljit Kochar
13. Mahesh Chandra Dhingra, Advocate-on-Record
14. Manish Goswami
15. Manisha T Karia, Advocate-on-Record
16. Md. Rafat Shamshad [MR Shamshad], Advocate-on-Record
17. Dr. Monika Gusain, Advocate-on-Record
18. Nachiketa Sudhakar Joshi, Advocate-on-Record
19. Nalin Kohli
20. Ngangom Junior
21. Parameshwar K, Advocate-on-Record
22. Prasenjit Keswani
23. Puneet Jain
24. Purvish Jitendra Malkan, Advocate-on-Record
25. R Nedumaran, Advocate-on-Record
26. Rahul Kaushik, Advocate-on-Record
27. Rishi Malhotra, Advocate-on-Record
28. Romy Chacko, Advocate-on-Record
29. Ruchi Kohli, Advocate-on-Record
30. Rudreshwar Singh
31. Seshadri Sekhar Ray (SS Ray)
32. Shadan Farasat, Advocate-on-Record
33. Shanthkumar V Mahale
34. Sharan Dev Singh Thakur
35. Shashi Kiran, Advocate-on-Record
36. Shekara Gowda (Shekhar G Devasa), Advocate-on-Record
37. Uday Bhaskar Dube, Advocate-on-Record
38. Vishnu Mehra
39. Yashraj Singh Deora, Advocate-on-Record
This round of designations follows the Supreme Court’s earlier decision in January 2024, when 56 lawyers, including 11 women, were elevated to the rank of Senior Advocate. Before that, the last round of designations occurred in December 2021, with 18 lawyers receiving the honour.
The recognition of these 39 lawyers underscores the continuous efforts of the judiciary to acknowledge legal excellence and to promote diversity within the legal community. Out of the 138 lawyers who applied for the designation, 68 were Advocates-on-Record, showcasing a competitive and rigorous selection process.
The inclusion of 10 women in this list is particularly noteworthy, as it reflects a gradual yet steady move towards a more inclusive representation in the legal profession, where women have traditionally been underrepresented.
