SC advises young lawyers to train under seniors:Courtroom skills and professional conduct cannot be learnt from degrees alone

The Supreme Court on Friday advised young lawyers to undergo training under experienced senior advocates, saying that the finer aspects of the legal profession cannot be learnt simply by obtaining a degree or opening an office. A bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih said young lawyers need to understand what they should and should not say in court. The observations were made while hearing a petition concerning an order of the Bombay High Court. ‘Approach senior lawyers and learn from them’ Justice Nagarathna said some young lawyers were starting independent practices without first training under senior lawyers, which she said was not the right approach. She said young lawyers should approach senior advocates, who could guide them and help them develop the skills required for advocacy. The judge said young lawyers may be ambitious, but training under seniors was necessary to understand the finer points of the profession. She added that this practice had continued across generations, allowing professional knowledge and good practices to be passed from experienced lawyers to the next generation. ‘You may have the hardware, but where are the soft skills?’ The bench noted that many young lawyers start their own offices soon after completing their degrees. The court observed that having a degree and an office was not enough, asking where the “soft skills” required for the profession would come from. It said these skills had to be developed through continuous learning and experience. The bench advised young lawyers to learn from senior colleagues and regularly sit in courtrooms to observe proceedings. The judges said they were concerned about the Bar and its future. Justice Nagarathna recalls her early years as a lawyer Justice Nagarathna also recalled her early years in the profession, saying that lawyers earlier typically trained under seniors before setting up their own offices and gradually building their practices. She said that when she was a young lawyer, she would sometimes have only one case or one mentioning. After that, she and other young lawyers would sit in different courtrooms and observe proceedings. She particularly recalled sitting in the courts of judges known for their strict demeanour. According to Justice Nagarathna, observing such judges helped young lawyers understand how to conduct themselves before the bench. She said that when a case came up before those judges later, they already had an understanding of how to respond and what to say while addressing the court. ​