Safeguarding Young Legal Talents: CJI's Call for Structural Reforms

Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna highlights concerns over the departure of young talent from litigation to corporate roles due to financial and social insecurity. He advocates for a minimum remuneration standard to attract and support young lawyers, ensuring their dedication to public interest work.

Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, has raised alarms over the significant migration of young legal talent from litigation to corporate law firms. He emphasized the pressing need to establish financial and social safeguards to retain these individuals.

Addressing a gathering organized by the Bar Council of India, Khanna proposed the introduction of minimum pay standards for young advocates in the initial years of their careers. He stressed that the shift away from litigation is not simply by choice, but indicative of deeper structural issues such as lack of sufficient support for first-generation lawyers.

Khanna praised initiatives like stipends for young lawyers, asserting that early courtroom experiences could guide more informed career decisions. This move, he hopes, will deter young legal minds from defaulting to corporate paths and instead encourage them towards fulfilling public interest roles.

(With inputs from agencies.)