Lawyers must study AI, data analysis to tap huge opportunities awaiting them: SC judge

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Lawyers have huge opportunities awaiting them and must study Artificial Intelligence, proportionality and data analysis to take advantage, Supreme Court judge Sanjiv Khanna said here on Monday.

Addressing the third convocation of the Maharashtra National Law University Aurangabad, he said there are 5.5 crore cases pending in courts across the country, including 83,000 in the Supreme Court.

"There are 1700 law colleges. Around 1 lakh advocates get enrolled every year. There are about 15 lakh advocates enrolled by the bar council. Advocates not only need to argue these cases but also have to man the courts as judges and members of tribunals. Hence, there is huge opportunity waiting for you," Justice Khanna said.

"Emerging areas like technology and artificial intelligence, data creation and data analysis, proportionality are important for legislative and executive policy as well as judicial determination," he said, adding law cannot be understood in isolation and would need interdisciplinary study.

The legal profession is not a business but one that demands integrity, perseverance and a deep sense of responsibility, with the main aim being to maintain ethics, honour and dignity, he asserted.

To be a member of the legislature one needs to get elected, which requires years of hard work, while to get into the bureaucracy one has to clear very tough competitive exams, he said.

"As lawyers, you immediately become part of the third wing that is judiciary, which plays an important role as it is where executive and legal actions are challenged," he said.

Justice Khanna also stressed on the importance of mediation and legal aid.

"Almost 80 per cent of the country's population is eligible for legal aid. Young advocates can be a part and parcel of legal aid. There is a national legal aid helpline number and advocates are being engaged to answer phone calls," he said.

Some 1.4 crore people get arrested in India, with 62 per cent of these arrests taking place under provisions of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the apex court judge said, adding "this is an area of concern and one in which lawyers should come in as it is a huge figure".

Among those who attended the event were Supreme Court judge Abhay Oka, who is also the chancellor of the university, Justice UB Bhuyan and Vice Chancellor A Lakshmikanth.

Students were conferred LLB, LLM degrees during the convocation ceremony.