CJI asks law students to practise ‘cause lawyering’

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Dipak Misra on Sunday called upon the law students to engage in the “Practice of Cause Lawyering” and develop an idea of serviceability to the law by taking up pro bono cases to protect human rights and rights of an individual.

Justice Misra was delivering the first Madhusudan Das Memorial Lecture at his alma mater Madhusudan Law College here on the topic ‘Role of Lawyers in the Dispensation of Justice Delivery System’, which was attended, among others, by Chief Justice of Orissa High Court Justice KS Jhaveri as guest of honour.

Speaking on the personal capabilities of a lawyer, Justice Misra emphasised on two aspects saying that it is wrong to say lawyers practise only to earn money rather the lawyers as a class are supposed to do service to the society like that of the judiciary as an institution and protect human values.

“In some judgments of the Supreme Court, it has been mentioned about the serviceability of the Institution and the lawyers are to develop the idea of serviceability to the cause of law and to the cause of adjudication by believing in cause lawyering”, Justice Misra said.

Quoting Shakespeare, Dr Samual Johnson, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi and Mahadev Prasad Singh extensively in his address, the CJI told the students to believe in and stand for the law. “When you practise law, you must hold the brief for your client and do the best as the client should have done.”

Speaking on the Lincoln’s concept of lawyering, he asked the students to be very articulate, passionate and to have a tremendous sense of intellectual honesty. On the duties of lawyers, he said, “It is the duty of a lawyer to argue forcefully, articulately and passionately but without aggressiveness.”

He also asked the students to continuously study for self-improvement. “Unless you are continuously involved in educating yourself, there is a danger,” he said, adding that for this, he is still a student of law and a student of philosophy.

Earlier paying rich tributes to legendary Madhusudan Das, the CJI particularly emphasised on Madhubabu’s leadership quality, bravery and his belief in the pride of Odisha and his love for the motherland and mother tongue Odia. Justice Jhaveri too in his address threw light on Madhubabu’s contributions to the judiciary and legal education in Odisha.

Presided over by Utkal University Vice-Chancellor Dr Soumendra Mohan Patnaik, the memorial lecture was also attended by several sitting and former judges of the Orissa High Court and eminent lawyers. College principal Dr Sukant K Nanda proposed a vote of thanks.