Senior Advocate and Rajya Sabha Member Abhishek Manu Singhvi recently said that legal profession must be understood as a vocation rooted in public service and not treated merely as a commercial enterprise.
He emphasised that the legal profession carries a responsibility to serve society and uphold fairness rather than operate solely on profit motives.
He referred to the ideas of US jurist Dean Roscoe Pound while explaining the difference between a profession and a business.
“A very famous US jurist Dean Roscoe Pound gave a very nice essay on the difference between a profession and a business… what is most important is that unlike business, a profession is supposed to have an element of public service,” Singhvi said.
Singhvi was speaking at Lovely Professional University during a lecture titled “Reminiscences of a Multitasking Career.”
Reflecting on the nature of legal practice, he explained that professions such as law historically evolved around specialised learning and a sense of duty towards society.
According to him, the primary objective of professional work is not financial gain alone but the service that the profession provides to society.
During his address, Singhvi also spoke about the pressures of handling multiple professional responsibilities across courtrooms, parliament and public engagements.
He described how different forums require different communication styles and the ability to adapt quickly.
He said that courtroom advocacy demands precision and discipline while public and parliamentary communication requires clarity and persuasion.
Singhvi also highlighted the importance of brevity in legal arguments and cautioned against unnecessarily long submissions.
“The soul of advocacy is brevity. Every judge values clarity over clutter and precision over prolixity,” he said.
He stressed that courtroom performance is rarely spontaneous and is usually the result of rigorous preparation carried out beforehand.
“What appears as brilliance in court is almost always the result of rigorous and meticulous preparation outside it,” he said.
Singhvi further spoke about the importance of credibility in the legal profession, noting that reputation is built gradually through honesty and fairness.
He cautioned young lawyers against taking shortcuts and underscored that credibility once lost is difficult to regain.
Singhvi also reflected on his experience in parliament. He said that thoughtful speeches often go unnoticed because they lack sensational elements.
He said parliamentary debates contain substantial wisdom drawn from experience even if such discussions do not always attract public attention.
“The most exacting courtroom is not always the Supreme Court. It is the court of public opinion,” he said.
He concluded by advising students to focus on developing value rather than chasing visibility. Sustained effort, preparation and integrity remain the foundation of professional success, he emphasised.