Justice Vikram Nath Urges Graduating Law Students To Uphold Honesty, Fairness And Professional Integrity At NLU Assam Convocation

Addressing the graduating students, Justice Nath said that a convocation was not merely the end of legal education but the beginning of a professional journey. He encouraged students to focus not only on what they could achieve with their legal education but also on the kind of people they wished to become.

He advised young lawyers to develop confidence in their abilities without becoming arrogant and emphasised the importance of listening to colleagues, opposing counsel, clients and judges. Quoting Shakespeare's Hamlet, he said, “Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.”

Justice Nath also encouraged young lawyers to acknowledge the limits of their knowledge, accept mistakes and change their minds when presented with better reasoning. Referring to Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, he quoted, “We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom.”

'The Decisions You Make Today Do Not Have To Define You Forever'

Sharing his professional journey, Justice Nath revealed that becoming a lawyer was not his original plan. He initially wanted to join the Merchant Navy but could not qualify. He subsequently considered engineering and eventually joined a B.Sc. programme. Despite law being his family profession, he had not initially planned to pursue it and had considered pursuing a Master's degree, a PhD or a career in academia.

Following his mother's demise, circumstances led him to join the family profession. After his plans to study law at Allahabad University did not work out because of a strike, and admissions to an LLB course in Lucknow had closed, he eventually enrolled at Shia PG College, Lucknow.

Justice Nath said that he had initially planned to practise in the District Courts and had not imagined eventually reaching the Supreme Court. It was his wife who persuaded him to try practising in the High Court, a decision that worked out well.

Using his own experience, he urged graduates not to feel that their present decisions would determine the course of their entire lives. He said that people could change direction, discover new interests, make mistakes and begin again.

“Sometimes a path you never planned for becomes the path that suits you best,” he said, advising students to work honestly, properly and diligently, irrespective of the professional path they eventually chose.

Integrity And Credibility Must Take Precedence Over Short-Term Gains

Justice Nath stressed that humility, fairness and honesty were indispensable to the legal profession. He cautioned young lawyers against concealing information to secure favourable orders, stating that any immediate advantage would not justify the loss of credibility.

Illustrating the importance of professional integrity through two incidents from his own practice, Justice Nath recalled appearing before Justice G.P. Mathur in the Allahabad High Court in a matter concerning the suspension of a Panchayat Pradhan.

After obtaining an interim order based on a Division Bench judgment, he discovered a Full Bench judgment that had taken a contrary position. His senior, Yatindra Singh, who later became a Judge, advised him to inform the Court of the mistake.

Justice Nath said that he accordingly went to Justice Mathur's chamber and disclosed the Full Bench judgment. Although the interim order was not withdrawn, Justice Mathur directed him to be prepared to argue on the next date why the Full Bench judgment might not be correct.

Justice Nath said that acknowledging the mistake did not harm him but actually helped him.

In another instance, while appearing before Justice A.K. Banerjee in a company matter, Justice Nath obtained an interim order but subsequently discovered that two required documents—an affidavit by the Manager (Legal) and a Board Resolution relevant to the interim relief—had not been attached.

Despite having obtained a favourable order, he returned to Court the following morning, at about 10 am, and informed Justice Banerjee about the omission. The order was not disturbed, and he was permitted to file the documents.

Justice Nath said that these experiences demonstrated the importance of fairness and trust in legal practice. He urged young lawyers to be honest even when the truth was inconvenient and to remain fair even when doing so placed them at a disadvantage.

He emphasised that lawyers would make mistakes, whether by missing a judgment, overlooking a document or misunderstanding a proposition of law. What mattered was how they responded when they discovered the mistake.

Lawyers Must Prioritise Justice Over Merely Winning Cases

Justice Nath reminded the graduating students that clients often approach lawyers during some of the most difficult moments of their lives, including marital breakdowns, business failures, arrests, property disputes and instances in which they believe the State has treated them unfairly.

He said that lawyers must recognise the responsibility that accompanies the trust placed in them and should not become mere instruments for whatever their clients want.

Emphasising the importance of independent professional judgment and conscience, he said that lawyers must have the courage to tell clients when their cases are weak, their expectations unrealistic or their proposed course of action inappropriate.

He also urged young lawyers to recognise complexity and uncertainty in the law instead of assuming that every legal problem had an easy answer. He encouraged them to use their voices responsibly, question what needed to be questioned and speak for those who could not speak for themselves.

Discipline, Continuous Learning And A Broader Understanding Of Life

Justice Nath said that discipline, rather than talent or brilliance alone, often made the difference over a long professional career. He urged young lawyers to prepare properly, meet deadlines, return calls and read files carefully, even when their efforts went unnoticed.

He also emphasised that legal education did not end with graduation. Referring to emerging legal questions involving artificial intelligence, data, privacy, climate change, biotechnology and new forms of commerce, he said that lawyers must remain curious and continue learning.

Encouraging students to look beyond their professional pursuits, he advised them to read poetry, history and literature, appreciate art and music, travel, spend time in nature and pursue hobbies.

Referring to Assam's cultural and intellectual heritage, Justice Nath highlighted the legacy of Srimanta Sankardev and the music of Bhupen Hazarika and Zubeen Garg. He said that understanding people required an understanding of life and that cultural engagement was part of becoming a fuller human being and a better lawyer.

He also encouraged young professionals to support their colleagues rather than compete destructively, share knowledge and celebrate others' achievements. Stressing the importance of treating court staff, juniors, colleagues, seniors and clients with dignity, he advised them to control their temper and learn to disagree without becoming disagreeable.

Justice Nath Congratulates Parents And Families

Justice Nath also congratulated the parents and families of the graduating students, acknowledging their support throughout years of education and uncertainty. He encouraged them to allow their children to find their own paths, even when those paths differed from their expectations.

Concluding his address, he urged the graduates not to chase perfection or measure their entire lives by professional success. Instead, he encouraged them to become better each day, remain ambitious while making time for life, and build their professional and personal lives on fairness, honesty and dependability.

He said that the greatest compliment at the end of a long career might be that a person had been dependable, decent, fair and good at what they did.

“Today, you receive a degree in law. Tomorrow, you begin the much more difficult task of becoming the lawyers, judges, scholars, public servants and citizens you aspire to be,” Justice Nath said, wishing the graduating students courage, patience, curiosity and wisdom for their journeys ahead.