Parteek S Chadda
NEW DELHI: THE 33rd Annual Convocation of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru became more than a ceremonial milestone this year.
It turned into a moment of reflection and guidance for India’s next generation of legal professionals as Supreme Court Judge Justice Surya Kant—who will assume office as the Chief Justice of India in November 2025—delivered a speech that resonated deeply with both graduates and the larger legal fraternity.
With a voice steeped in conviction, Justice Kant urged the graduating class to look beyond personal ambition and to root their careers in ethical courage, integrity, and authenticity.
His message was clear: in the practice of law, conscience is not a burden, but a compass. Justice Kant opened his address with a reminder that ethical courage is not a liability but the greatest asset a lawyer can possess. In a world where the temptation of expediency often overshadows principle, he told young lawyers that courage of conscience would not only shape their path but also set them apart in the long run.
“The question is not whether you have learned the law,” he said. “It is whether you are ready to reshape it, to bend the arc of justice toward the communities that need it most, and to transform legal practice from a mere career into a force for societal change.”
Measure success by integrity, not shortcuts, he tells young lawyers
This, he explained, is where the real test of lawyering lies—not in the mastery of statutes alone, but in the moral strength to use that knowledge for the greater good.
on his own journey at the Bar, Justice Kant shared a telling episode from his early practice. When pressed by a senior advocate to advance arguments that felt ethically uncomfortable, he refused. That refusal, he recalled, was not without risk—but it turned into the foundation of his career.
“Standing by your conscience does not end paths—it defines them,” he said. “That stand earned me trust, and this trust became the foundation of relationships that opened doors I never imagined possible. Integrity creates opportunities that shortcuts and compromises cannot.” His words carried a simple yet powerful reminder: in the legal profession, character matters more than convenience.
Justice Kant emphasised that integrity in the early years of practice creates the foundation for authentic success later in life. If compromised at the start, no genuine success can be built in the future.