Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dr. Justice Surya Kant delivered a powerful address to graduating law students at Chanakya National Law University (CNLU) in Patna on Saturday, January 3, 2026. He emphasized that while professional success is measured by chambers and salaries, the true hallmark of a lawyer and a just society is unwavering empathy and a commitment to serving the most vulnerable.
Beyond Degrees and Designations: The CJI's Core Message
Speaking at the convocation ceremony, the CJI acknowledged the external markers of success that await the new graduates. "The world will be eager to evaluate you. It will assign you value through designations, rankings, first postings, chambers, salaries and the speed with which you appear to be doing well," he stated. However, he cautioned that while these metrics are not irrelevant, they are also not definitive.
He urged the students to be lawyers rooted in self-belief and resilience. "Your degrees are not symbols of where you come from, they are acknowledgements of what you have already demonstrated the capacity to do," Justice Kant remarked, framing the qualification as a starting point for greater responsibility.
The Peril of Losing Empathy in the Pursuit of Success
The CJI issued a critical warning against allowing the relentless pursuit of professional goals to consume one's humanity. He noted that many young lawyers believe success demands total surrender to work, which, while initially intense, must not lead to personal erasure.
"If the law occupies every corner of your life, you risk losing the very empathy and judgment that justice requires," he advised. He positioned this quality as the bedrock of a fair legal system, stating unequivocally that empathy "distinguishes a just society from an unjust one."
A Call to Reshape Law and Serve the Unheard
Justice Kant charged the new graduates with a solemn duty to make justice accessible. "As you leave this university, remember that the law is not just for those who can afford it, but for anyone who is in dire need of it," he said.
He framed their mission in transformative terms: "The question is not whether you have learnt the law, it is whether you are ready to reshape it, to bend it, also to bend the arc of justice towards the communities that need it the most." He reminded them that the law derives its legitimacy from the people it protects and that honouring their constitutional promise involves giving voice and dignity to the overlooked.
Earlier on Saturday, as part of his two-day visit to Patna, the CJI laid the foundation stone for seven crucial infrastructure projects at the Patna High Court premises. These projects include an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) building, an auditorium, an IT building, an administrative block, a multi-level parking facility, a hospital, a residential block for ministerial staff, and an annexe for the office of the Advocate General.
