Litigation More Rewarding Than Corporate Career In Long Run; Wrong To Think First Generation Lawyers Can't Succeed: Justice Oka

Supreme Court Judge, Justice AS Oka today (March 11) spoke extensively on the importance of pursuing the traditional practice of litigation over corporate law and the need to dispel the stereotype that practice in constitutional courts is 'superior' to having a practice in district or trial courts. Justice Oka was speaking at a lecture organised by the National Law University And Judicial Academy, Assam. He addressed the growing tendency of young law graduates to join corporate law firms immediately after college and explained how it is litigation in fact which is rewarding in the long run. He opined: "Many students feel that they should have a career in what is called as - commercial law, which will include company law and IPR and students get fascinated by this commercial law. I want to tell you with a great deal of emphasis that the number of the cases falling in this commercial law category are not even 5%. 95% of the cases are the mainstream litigation- civil and criminal and the writ work before the constitutional courts." "Then many students feel that it is easier to get into a firm after you have passed out. The reason is that when you get into the firm you start getting reasonable income immediately. Many young students feel that they don't have a background in the legal profession and therefore they will find it very difficult to initially survive in the traditional legal profession and then prosper. Here I want to join issues with you, yes! you are right- if you join a firm your income starts immediately...but you must remember one thing, if you adopt a career in a firm there are limitations to the growth of your career." "But if you join the legal practice, I can tell you from personal experience - I have been a lawyer for 20 years and a judge for more than 21 years....I have been attending conferences of Chartered Accountants, Doctors, and everybody talks unanimously that the legal profession is the most lucrative profession in our country....If you join legal profession traditionally before courts, initial years yes, there is great deal of difficulty but you must always remember one thing, if you prepare to work hard , the work will come to you automatically. " In emphasising so, he quoted Chief Justice MC Chagla who said "Nothing succeeds in a success like the legal profession". He explained that those instances where the legal professionals who have enormously succeeded have "seen very hard days" - for instance Senior Advocate Nani Palkhivala. He highlighted the journey of Justice Chagla-how he being the Junior of Mohammad Ali Jinnah would never get recommended cases from Jinnah and reached a point of starvation but he didn't lose hope and continued to work hard. Justice Chagla's perseverance led him to become the first Indian Chief Justice of any High Court (Bombay). He further used this instance to dispel the notion that there is no scope for first-generation lawyers in litigation. He stated: "So please do not be under any impression that just because you don't have any legal background you will not succeed in the legal profession. If you join a company or a firm, as a law officer, maybe initially you feel that yes, you will have a good salary, reasonable salary but then as you grow old, you continue to be only a law officer - your designation may get changed, instead of law officer they will call you law manager/ some enhancement you will get in your salary but you ultimately continue to be a law officer and you may find your friends who join the bar - they prosper in 7-8 years. So my appeal to you is please think of joining the legal profession." The other potential career options for law graduates, according to Justice Oka were legal research and academia, teaching and district judiciary and even government law offices. He further added that Judicial officers in the start of their careers get a good salary and several perks, which even graduates from good Engineering Colleges do not get offered. Especially for women, he said that the judiciary is a good option as it ensures a work-life balance and stability for young ladies. Practice In Constitutional Courts Not Superior To Practice In Lower Courts' : Justice Oka Dispels Stereotypes Justice Oka shared a recent incident where a couple law students from Maharashtra visited the Supreme Court and interacted with him. There he was asked by the young students how to leverage one's practise before the Supreme Court or High Courts. Considering the tendency of often undervaluing the litigation at the grassroots- district level, Justice Oka highlighted: "I realised that they have a wrong notion- that practice before the Supreme Court/ High Court is superior to practice in Trial and District Court - this is completely a wrong concept. The practice before Talukka and District Courts is as important as the practise before the High Court and Supreme Court. You must remember that Trial Court and District Courts are Courts of first instance." Justice...

Litigation More Rewarding Than Corporate Career In Long Run; Wrong To Think First Generation Lawyers Can't Succeed: Justice Oka

Anmol Kaur Bawa

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