Bengaluru: After conferring degrees and doctorates on outgoing students at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) convocation Saturday, chancellor and Chief Justice of India Surya Kant urged lawyers to uphold humility.Pointing out that the profession demanded several qualities, he said: “It demands not only the mastery of statutes and precedent, but also the courage to defend what is just and the humility to listen to voices that are often unheard. This intellectual independence also calls for fairness: hearing before judging, distinguishing a person from a position and disagreeing without denying another person’s dignity.”“Now, seeing all your smiling faces together, I take it that you survived that gruelling experience. Maybe you’ll learn to make peace. You’ve navigated a curriculum that tested the limits of your endurance and intellect,” he remarked, acknowledging the hard work put in by the students.He also explained that law in its living form was not static. “It breathes and evolves through the minds and actions of those who practise it. The cases you articulate, the contracts you draft… and the judgments you write will all contribute to the larger architecture of justice in our nation,” the CJI added.Motivating the graduating lawyers, Justice Kant said the university must have instilled in them the resilience to withstand pressure, clarity in areas where others saw confusion, and the courage to stand up in the face of change. He said the purpose of legal education extended beyond learning the principles of criminal or constitutional law. He also reminded budding lawyers that they might encounter people with different viewpoints during their lives.“We sit beside people whose backgrounds, beliefs and interpretations challenge our own. Each time we listen to perspectives that diverge from ours, we’re reminded that the law itself is a living conversation that is shared by voices that do not always harmonise, but together create the symphony of justice,” he continued.Before concluding the address, the CJI asserted that only the relentless pursuit of excellence would build one’s professional reputation. “There will come times when compromise tempts, when expediency entices, and when others take breezy shortcuts. And it is in those moments that you must let the wisdom imparted here be your compass and stay true to the values you have imbibed in this eminent institution.”He also took a brief moment to remember Urvashi Krishnatra, an NLSIU graduate who had passed away. He termed her a young and vibrant member of the NLSIU family and offered condolences to her family and friends.
