Don't burden yourself with loan for foreign LL.M: CJI BR Gavai to law graduates
The Chief Justice raised concerns over emotional burnout in legal practice and the growing tendency among law graduates to seek validation through expensive foreign degrees.
Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on 11.07.2025 delivered a striking critique of the Indian legal profession while addressing the 22nd Convocation of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.
He addressed the widespread pressure among young Indian lawyers to pursue a Master’s degree abroad, describing it as a symbol of external validation rather than a carefully thought-out academic pursuit.
“Do not put yourself or your family under the burden of loans amounting to 50–70 lakhs just for a foreign degree. A foreign degree alone is not a stamp of your worth...Don’t take this decision in a reflex of thought or under peer pressure.”
Suggesting an alternative, Justice Gavai said,
“A small portion of it can be used as an investment to start your independent practice or build a chamber. And later, when you are stable, go abroad for studies. There is no age bar to learn. Go abroad not to escape, but to expand.”
Source : Bar and Bench