High proportion of law graduates opting for corporate jobs is worrisome: CJI

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday expressed serious concern over the shrinking courtroom talent pool , warning that the growing preference among law graduates for corporate and IT-linked careers could weaken India’s legal system.

Addressing students at the 16th convocation of Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), the CJI said it was worrying that 93 per cent of graduates are opting for corporate and non-litigation roles , reducing the number of young advocates entering traditional court practice. He noted that national law schools were expected to nurture future members of the bar and the bench, but the present trend threatened that pipeline.

Justice Kant acknowledged that corporate and legal-tech roles offer ₹12–25 lakh starting salaries , while initial income in litigation remains extremely modest , often limited to a few thousand rupees per month during the early years. He said this income insecurity and slow career progression were major reasons behind graduates avoiding courtroom practice. However, he cautioned students against measuring success only in financial terms, emphasising that long-term professional influence, leadership, and fulfilment largely emerge through sustained litigation.

Drawing from his early career, the CJI highlighted the sharp contrast between academic study and real-world advocacy. He said court practice teaches adaptability, resilience, emotional intelligence, and ethical judgment lessons no classroom can fully impart. Invoking the maxim “satyam vada, dharmam chara” , he urged students to uphold integrity, truth, and ethical consistency , stating that a lawyer’s most important judgment is that of their own conscience.

Using a cricketing analogy, he cited Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah , stressing that specialisation and clarity of strengths are vital for excellence in law as in sport.

The convocation saw 295 students receive degrees , including 12 PhDs, 89 LLM graduates, and 194 undergraduates. GNLU announced record placements with a median salary of ₹18 lakh , and launched an AI-enabled moot court simulator and a mobile legal aid clinic to strengthen training and access to justice. Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court , Sunita Agrawal , was also present.