ILA Webinar-How can lawyers be enriched-Academically, Ethically and Monetarily! - 20-Sep-2025

1. Event Overview:

The purpose of this webinar is to create a meaningful dialogue on the theme “How can lawyers be enriched – Academically, Ethically and Monetarily?” and to reflect on the vital role of lawyers as nation-builders in India’s journey towards 2047.

The discussion will focus on the following key dimensions:

Academic Enrichment

  1. How can Indian law schools better prepare students to handle the scale of challenges—such as 60 million pending cases—that our system faces?
  2. Should continuing legal education (CLE) be made mandatory for practicing lawyers in India, as it is in other countries?

Ethical Enrichment

  1. With delays of 20–25 years for a trial, how do lawyers uphold their ethical duty to clients who may never see justice in their lifetime?
  2. How can bar councils and professional associations strengthen ethical standards when 40% of lawyers have fake law degrees, and malpractice by attorneys is not investigated and punished regularly?
  3. In a system where “justice delayed is justice denied,” what role should lawyers play in reforming procedure, reducing adjournments, and pushing for accountability?
  4. If you had a magic wand, what three things would you do to reduce the backlog of 60 million cases and fix the legal system of India?

Monetary Enrichment

  1. Given that lawyers cannot advertise or work on a contingency fee basis, what reforms would you recommend to ensure that the poor get access and Indian lawyers are fairly compensated?
  2. Should India consider limited liberalization (advertising, contingency fees, law firm websites) to improve access to justice and lawyer livelihoods?
  3. Do you feel that the partners of law firms are keeping a higher share of the revenue generated and not paying the lawyer employees a fair share?

Lawyers as Nation-Builders (India @ 2047)

  1. What role can lawyers play in reducing the 60 million pending cases and ensuring faster delivery of justice by 2047?
  2. How can the legal system become an instrument of economic growth—by making India more attractive for investment, trade, and innovation?
  3. What reforms in arbitration, mediation, and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) are most urgent for India to be seen as a “first-world” legal system?
  4. Do you think the States should be given more power and freedom to run the judicial system in their State so that maybe a few States would get their act together and reduce the pendency of cases in their State?
  5. In many countries around the world, a majority of criminal matters are decided by plea bargaining, why is plea bargaining not a success in India?
  6. If you had to prioritize one single reform in the next 10 years to move India closer to first-world justice standards, what would it be?

Through this dialogue, the webinar aims to spark ideas, highlight urgent reforms, and build a roadmap for transforming India into a first-world legal system by 2047.

Panelist:

  • Full Name: Justice A.K Sikri
  • Designation: Judge (Retd)
  • Organization: Supreme Court
  • Email: aksikrij@gmail.com

Panelist:

  • Full Name: N Hariharan
     

Panelist:

  • Full Name: Sanjeev Gemavat
  • Designation: President
  • Organization: General Counsels’ Association of India
  • Email: sanjeevgemawat12@gmail.com

Panelist:

  • Full Name: A.S. Chandhiok
  • Designation: Senior Advocate
  • Email: achandhiok@gmail.com

Panelist:

  • Full Name: Satwinder Singh
  • Designation: Founder & Managing Partner
  • Organization: Aekom Legal
  • Email: satwinder@aekomlegal.com

Panelist:

  • Full Name: NPS Chawla

Host & Moderator:

  • Full Name: Navneet Chugh
  • Designation: Managing Partner
  • Organization: Chugh LLP
  • Email: navneet@chugh.com

4. Event Conclusion / Key Outcomes

  • Summary of Key Highlights or Achievements

In this insightful session, an eminent panel deliberated on the future of the legal profession in India, outlining a roadmap for the nation to achieve its vision of becoming a first-world legal system by 2047.

Key Takeaways from the Discussion

  • Embracing Technology: AI and digital tools are essential to tackle the backlog of 60M+ cases and enhance judicial efficiency.
  • Continuous Learning: Lawyers must embrace continuous education and upskill in emerging areas such as space law, blockchain, and cybercrimes.
  • Upholding Ethics: The legal profession, being a noble profession, must place justice and ethical practice at its core.
  • Modernizing Regulations: Outdated restrictions on advertising, contingency fees, and practice rules need reform to ensure fair compensation and wider access to justice.

The session further explored academic preparedness, ethical challenges, monetary reforms, and the broader role of lawyers as nation-builders. Expertly moderated by Mr. Navneet, the discussion was both thought-provoking and solution-oriented.

The unanimous message was clear: the legal fraternity must take the lead in driving reforms to build a faster, fairer, and future-ready justice system for India.

ILA Webinar-How can lawyers be enriched-Academically, Ethically and Monetarily! – 20-Sep-2025