Legal Profession Is Not for the Faint-Hearted: Two months after students at the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru (NLSIU Bengaluru) protested against his presence on campus, Justice Surya Kant addressed the students at the university’s convocation. He remarked that the legal profession is not for the faint-hearted, as it demands intellectual independence, impartiality, and the willingness to fully hear a person out before delivering a judgment.
Delivering the ‘Chancellor’s Presidential Address’ at the convocation on Saturday, an event previously deferred due to protests by students and alumni, CJI Kant noted that the university, often regarded as the ‘Harvard of the East,’ has witnessed “many parties and spontaneous ‘flash mobs’ on its premises!”
Shifting to a more serious note, he emphasised that the legal profession requires not only a profound understanding of the law but also the courage to stand for what is right, and the humility to listen to voices that are often drowned out by the surrounding din.
At the National Law School of India University, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant stated that the legal profession requires the humility to listen to voices that often get lost amidst the noise. He remarked, “Impartiality is also essential for this intellectual freedom: listening to someone before forming an opinion about them, viewing an individual independently of their position, and expressing one’s disagreement without compromising the other person’s dignity.”
