Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna, hosted ‘Perspect & Open House’, an interactive student-centric dialogue with Justice Surya Kant, Chief Justice of India, on September 25, 2026. The initiative was jointly organised by the CNLU Legal Aid Cell and the Academic & Debating Committee to facilitate on contemporary issues concerning the legal profession, judicial administration, legal education and constitutional rights.
Justice Surya Kant, who assumed office as the Chief Justice of India in November 2025, began his legal career at the District Court in Hisar in 1984 and went on to become the youngest Advocate General of Haryana at the age of 38.
The interaction was attended by Justice V. Kameswar Rao, Chief Justice of the Patna High Court and Chancellor of CNLU, and Prof. (Dr.) Faizan Mustafa, Vice-Chancellor, CNLU, along with members of the faculty and students at the University.
CJI Surya Kant on challenges faced by first-generation lawyers
A substantial part of the interaction focused on the financial and structural difficulties faced by first-generation lawyers, particularly those entering litigation without an established family practice.
Responding to a question on why graduates of leading law universities increasingly gravitate towards corporate employment instead of litigation, Justice Surya Kant acknowledged the economic challenges associated with the initial years of legal practice. He emphasised that being a first-generation lawyer should not itself be viewed as a disadvantage.
“Do not feel any kind of disadvantage that only because you are a first-generation lawyer, or you do not have any established practice.”
The Chief Justice further spoke about the need for an institutional ecosystem capable of supporting young lawyers during the initial years of practice. Referring to a pending matter concerning assistance to young lawyers, he stated that directions had been issued for the creation of a Young Lawyers Professional Assistance Fund, through which financial assistance could be provided to young lawyers.
He also emphasised the professional responsibility of senior members of the Bar to provide young lawyers with a respectable honorarium and a degree of financial security, observing that such support would enable young lawyers to work with greater dedication.
Drawing a parallel with the Supreme Court’s law clerk system, Justice Surya Kant explained that the honorarium of Supreme Court law clerks had been revised from ₹80,000 to ₹90,000 after he assumed office as CJI, with a further increase upon completion of one year. He further explained that certain law clerks who continue for two years are upgraded as Research Associates, with their honorarium revised to ₹1.25 lakh.
On the five-year law course and the three-year practice requirement
Another significant portion of the discussion concerned the structure of legal education following the requirement of prior practice for entry-level judicial service.
Justice Surya Kant and Prof. Faizan Mustafa discussed the possibility of re-examining the existing five-year law course in light of the requirement of practical exposure before entry into judicial service.
Prof. Mustafa suggested that the final year of the five-year programme could potentially be structured around practical training, including six months in district courts and six months in High Courts, allowing students to gain practical exposure before becoming eligible for judicial service.
Justice Surya Kant, however, noted that the issue was before the Court and therefore required consideration in light of the pending proceedings.
‘Legal education in India has gone very high’, says CJI
The discussion also turned to the rising cost of legal education and the financial burden placed on students.
Responding to concerns regarding the funding of National Law Universities, Justice Surya Kant described the existing situation as both “serious” and “anomalous”, noting the differing positions of State and Central Governments regarding financial assistance to law universities.
He observed that legal education in India, particularly following the establishment of National Law Universities, has attained significant recognition internationally. At the same time, he noted that the level of governmental investment and institutional support available to legal education does not correspond to its importance.
Justice Surya Kant called for greater sensitisation regarding the role of legal education and the need for adequate institutional support and basic facilities.
On peaceful protests and fundamental rights
A student also raised concerns regarding allegations of police brutality against students exercising their right to peaceful protest and asked how the judiciary balances maintenance of public order with the protection of fundamental rights.
Justice Surya Kant responded that the right to peaceful protest and to raise one’s voice on legitimate issues is constitutionally guaranteed. He stated that individuals are not required to seek the permission of another person to possess such rights, and that courts have repeatedly recognised and enforced these protections when impediments have been placed upon them.
Referring to matters that remain pending before the Court, the CJI refrained from commenting on specific recent cases, while reiterating that fundamental rights must be protected within the constitutional framework.
In a lighter observation, Justice Surya Kant remarked that as teachers of constitutional law, judges often find themselves applying the very principles they teach to students.
From Hisar to the Supreme Court: preserving idealism in the legal profession
One of the questions sought Justice Surya Kant’s reflections on preserving the idealism with which many students enter law school despite the difficult realities of litigation.
Recalling his own journey from a middle-class, rural background in Hisar, the Chief Justice said that his family had initially expected him to pursue secure government employment. He nevertheless chose law, despite having no family background in the profession.
Justice Surya Kant emphasised the importance of professional ethics in sustaining a legal career. He explained that ethical principles become embedded through one’s training and experience in the profession and that judges acquire an additional layer of ethical responsibility upon assuming judicial office.
His official biography records that Justice Surya Kant began practice at the District Court, Hisar, in 1984 before moving to Chandigarh and later being appointed Advocate General of Haryana at the age of 38.
CJI explains collegium process and confidentiality of reasons
The interaction also saw questions concerning the transparency of the collegium system, including whether greater disclosure of collegium decisions could be undertaken without compromising judicial independence.
Justice Surya Kant explained that collegium decisions involve a detailed process and that reasons concerning judicial appointments and elevations are recorded internally. He stated that the fact that reasons are not always placed in the public domain does not mean that the collegium does not apply its mind or record reasons.
He pointed to the potential consequences of publicly disclosing adverse material concerning judges who are considered but not elevated to a higher constitutional office, including the possibility of embarrassment or erosion of the authority of a sitting judge.
According to the Chief Justice, the appointment process involves consideration of several factors, including merit, performance, integrity, seniority, inclusivity and diversity, alongside reports and assessments received through various channels.
He further explained that judgments argued by candidates for judicial elevation are evaluated through processes within the Supreme Court, including assessment by committees of judges.
A conversation beyond formalities
The Open House format allowed students to move beyond conventional ceremonial questions and engage the Chief Justice on professional, institutional and constitutional issues.
Students asked about the pressures of beginning litigation, professional setbacks, idealism, judicial appointments, the collegium, legal education, fundamental rights and the future of the legal profession.
The interaction also retained moments of informality. Responding to a question about his own journey and the possibility of an alternative career had he not entered law, Justice Surya Kant reflected on the path that eventually took him from the district courts of Hisar to the Supreme Court of India.
At the conclusion of the interaction, the organisers expressed gratitude to the Chief Justice for engaging with students in an open format. The event concluded with an acknowledgement of the participation of Justice V. Kameswar Rao, Chancellor of CNLU; Prof. (Dr.) Faizan Mustafa, Vice-Chancellor; the faculty; and members of the Legal Aid Cell and Academic & Debating Committee.
The event was conceived as an “Open House” precisely to create a space where students could ask questions directly. As the organisers reflected at the conclusion of the session, the significance of the interaction lay not merely in the stature of the guest, but in the willingness to sit with students and engage with questions that were varied, challenging and, at times, deeply personal.
The initiative, ‘Perspect & Open House: Beyond Opinions, Towards Understanding’, thus brought the highest judicial office of the country into direct conversation with law students, placing questions of legal education, professional opportunity, constitutional rights and judicial institutions at the centre of the discussion.
Source note: The event details and the substantive account above are based primarily on the organisers’ event brief, the supplied transcript of the interaction, and the uploaded question sheet. The question sheet records the intended discussion areas, including first-generation litigation, legal education, professional setbacks and judicial idealism.