Be honest to the court and clients: Mardikar

Nagpur: Being fair to clients, opponents and the court are the factors that matter the most in legal profession. Therefore, the lawyers should not indulge in or encourage unfair practices, said senior counsel Anil Mardikar on Wednesday.
The aspiring lawyers got a sneak peek into the professional world as Mardikar delivered a lecture on ‘Practice on criminal side before the high court’, organized by High Court Bar Association (HCBA). Vice-president of HCBA PB Patil and secretary Praful Khubalkar were seated on the dais.

Giving some words of wisdom to lawyers, Mardikar said, “Dishonesty will never benefit you. If you take help of a lie or veil the facts, remember that the court is intelligent enough to catch it. The court will definitely bring falsehood to fore and just one such incident could demolish your reputation.”

Giving tips and tricks on effective handling of court cases, Mardikar asked the lawyers to enhance their skills, and shared some significant realizations from his 35 years of experience. He gave junior lawyers important tips which could help them make a mark in their career.

In order to widen their horizons, he advised them to spend more time in courtrooms and observe how senior advocates argue and put forth their views in various cases. Mardikar said, “You must carefully analyse the court proceedings and note down observations of judges and how lawyers skilfully tackle difficult situations to prove their point. These are the techniques which cannot be taught in classrooms but are learnt by personally following different cases.”

Mardikar asked them to write down important observations in a diary, like particular laws and sections being applied on different subjects. This will become the best reference material and help them in future, he added.

Thorough study and research is must to become a good lawyer, Mardikar said, adding, one needs to keep track of rapid changes that are taking place and be updated with the latest laws.