Supreme Court Justice Aravind Kumar emphasized the importance of both brilliance and ethics in the legal profession while addressing the students of Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) at its 15th convocation on Saturday. Justice Bela Trivedi also graced the event.
A total of 286 students from the UG 2019-24 and PG 2023-2024 batches were awarded degrees by Justice Trivedi and Justice Kumar. Among the graduates, 16 were PhD scholars, 85 were LLM postgraduates (67 from Gandhinagar campus and 18 from Silvassa campus), and 185 were from the undergraduate LLB (Hons) program.
“The world does not need more brilliant lawyers, it needs more ethical lawyers,” Justice Kumar said while calling the graduates “future defenders of justice, guardians of the constitution and warriors of truth.”
“As lawyers, your duty is to serve justice, not always to profit, but to serve truth with courage…Your flaws, your cracks, your vulnerability make you human. Don’t be disturbed by those cracks. They also make you capable of empathy, compassion and growth. Never be ashamed of them, let them groom something beautiful,” he further said.
As many as 38 gold medals were awarded to the meritorious students of the Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) programs to recognize their exceptional academic performance and contribution in various fields of legal education. This included five new gold medal categories, added in the year 2025. As many as 35 GNLU scholarships in the form of tuition fee reimbursement have also been awarded to 23 brilliant students for the academic year 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Justice Trivedi, in her address, said , ‘The study of law does not end with degrees. Your degree is not a finish line but the foundation of your bright future. Excellence in the professional field will be achieved only when you are honest with your work.”
She further said, “Shortcuts may seem very fruitful and their pressure may challenge your beliefs, but at such times your honesty will play a very important role.” GNLU Director S Shantakumar congratulated the graduating students while releasing the annual report of the university.