'Became CJI as someone saw something in me'

NEW DELHI: CJI B R Gavai Saturday said he did not become CJI just by the dint of hard work but because someone saw "something in me" to emphasise the importance of seniors in the legal profession, encouraging talented and hardworking lawyers. "I am here today not just because I worked hard. Yes, effort mattered. But so did the fact that someone opened a door for me. Someone saw something in me before I could see it in myself. That act of belief, of support, of sharing wisdom changed my life," he told students at convocation of Nalsar University , Hyderabad.

Appealing to judges, lawyers and legal professionals to mentor young lawyers entering the profession boasting of nearly 20 lakh lawyers, CJI Gavai said, "Be the one who writes a recommendation, who explains a case, who tells a young graduate that they belong even when the room says otherwise. Mentorship is not a favour. It is a responsibility."

He said there is a race to acquire degrees in law from foreign countries as that has become a platform for acceptance in many quarters but cautioned that a foreign degree, which comes at a great cost to parents, is not a sign of one's value or capability.