Students aspire to be lawyers like in Suits, not like in Maamla Legal Hai: Supreme Court Justice Sanjay Karol

Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Karol recently said many law students today aspire to emulate the polished and glamorous legal practice shown in shows like Suits, rather than understanding the realities of everyday courtroom litigation reflected in shows such as Mamla Legal Hai.

He began by referring to the character Abhishek Tripathi from the popular series Panchayat, noting how the character enters village administration expecting structure and efficiency, only to encounter delays, confusion and systemic challenges.

Drawing parallels with the legal profession, Justice Karol said many students enter law schools expecting organised systems, sophisticated offices and predictable career paths. However, the real world of litigation often involves navigating procedural hurdles, uncertainty and delays, particularly for lawyers working at the grassroots level.

He observed that the gap between the idealised version of law taught in classrooms and the realities faced in courts is where some of the most important questions of justice arise.

Justice Karol was speaking at the NLIU–SBA Law Conclave 2026 held at the National Law Institute University, Bhopal on the theme “Reimagining Law and Justice in the 21st Century: Challenges, Accountability and Reforms.”

Expanding on this theme, he said portrayals of law and governance in popular culture often appear humorous on screen but reflect familiar realities experienced by litigants and lawyers across the country.

Justice Karol also addressed the growing role of artificial intelligence in the justice system, cautioning that technological efficiency must not come at the cost of fairness.

He said artificial intelligence can make systems faster and more efficient and may help reduce backlog. However, he warned that poorly designed systems risk reinforcing the very biases they are meant to eliminate.

“If justice becomes data-driven without being value-driven, we may end up with a system that works efficiently, but not fairly,” he said.

Justice Karol further emphasised that constitutional values must not remain theoretical and should guide everyday public functioning.

Drawing from his administrative experience, he said constitutionalism is visible even in routine acts of governance.

“The constable standing at the crossroads - the whistle and baton he carries contain the voice of the Constitution,” he said.

He urged students to actively engage with constitutional principles beyond academic study.

“We have to read the Constitution, understand the Constitution, live the Constitution, and make people understand what Constitution is all about,” he said.

He also encouraged students to undertake judicial internships, stressing that practical exposure is essential to understanding real courtroom functioning.

Justice Karol concluded by emphasising that law must serve as an instrument of social transformation and urged students to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and the realities of justice delivery.