CJI Gavai speaks about structural inequality in legal profession; addresses mental health issues of lawyers

The Chief Justice of India has addressed the mental health issues surrounding the legal profession. Speaking at the 22nd Convocation of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, the CJI said the profession can be isolating and emotionally taxing.

"The hours are long. The expectations, high. The culture, sometimes ruthless. You will feel pressure not just to succeed, but to appear successful. Many hide their struggles. I urge you not to. Find your community", CJI Gavai told the graduating students.

Furthering on this, CJI Gavai has said mental health cannot be spoken of without recognising the structural barriers that exist in our profession. "Structural inequality hides in silence. In the subtle comments. In the internship that never comes. In the doors that are hard to open", he added.

On current trends in India after the inception of globalization, Justice Gavai remarked how a student from a National Law School in a metro city may be seen as “better placed” than one from a smaller university, not necessarily because of skill, but because of perception and called it to be unfair but real.

Highlighting the role of mentorship in his professional journey, CJI said, "I am here today not just because I worked hard. Yes, effort mattered. But so did the fact that someone opened a door for me. Someone saw something in me before I could see it in myself. That act of belief, of support, of sharing wisdom changed my life. And so, I appeal to all the seniors in this room— lawyers, judges, professors, professionals— be that person. Be the one who writes a recommendation, who explains a case, who tells a young graduate that they belong even when the room says otherwise. Mentorship is not a favour. It is a responsibility.".

CJI Gavai also addressed the pressure to pursue a master’s degree abroad. "It has become a symbol. A brand. A passport to validation. If you wish to go — go. It broadens your horizons. It teaches you how the world thinks. But please, go with scholarship and funding. Go with purpose. Not pressure. I see young graduates or lawyers taking loans of 50 to 70 lakhs for this. Do not put yourself or your family under the burden of loans amounting to 50–70 lakhs just for a foreign degree. A foreign degree alone is not a stamp of your worth. Don’t take this decision in a reflex of thought or under peer pressure. What happens next? Years of debt. Anxiety. Career decisions made under financial burden....", he has said.

If we want to keep our best minds, or bring them back, the CJI has said we must build nurturing academic environments, offer transparent and merit-based opportunities, and most importantly, restore dignity and purpose to legal research and teaching in India.