Justice Karol highlights the growing gap between legal education, corporate aspirations, and grassroots legal practice in India

At an event held at National Law Institute University, Justice Sanjay Karol raised concerns about the current direction of legal education in India. He pointed out that many students in National Law Universities are increasingly aiming for high-paying corporate careers rather than focusing on serving society, especially marginalized communities.

He highlighted that legal education is becoming more aligned with corporate aspirations, often influenced by popular media portrayals. According to him, such portrayals create unrealistic expectations about the legal profession, which in reality involves significant challenges, procedural delays, and grassroots-level complexities.

“We often see on Netflix the show Suits,” Justice Karol observed. “But in reality, when it comes to the justice delivery system in India, things are totally different at the ground level. A large number of students from prestigious institutions are aspiring to become lawyers as we see in Suits, and not lawyers as ought to be in Mamla Legal Hain.”

He emphasized that the legal profession should not be driven by glamour or recognition, but by a responsibility to bring meaningful change in the lives of people across the country. He urged students to stay connected to the constitutional values and work towards improving access to justice for all.

Justice Karol also encouraged students to actively engage with the Constitution in their daily lives, treating its principles as guiding values. Additionally, he invited law students to pursue internships and practical exposure, noting that such experiences play a key role in shaping both legal understanding and judicial perspectives.