Bengaluru: At NLSIU convocation, graduates urged to carry forward law, legacy & hope

Bengaluru: At its 33rd annual convocation on Sunday, the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) conferred degrees on 1,557 students across academic programmes.

The batch included 287 on-campus and 1,270 off-campus graduates from PhD, Master of Public Policy, Master of Laws and other courses. Notably, the first batch of three-year LLB (Hons) graduates also passed out, including a Rhodes Scholar.

Ranked first in the NIRF Law category for the eighth consecutive year, NLSIU has, over the past five years, shifted from a teaching-heavy to a research-driven model, easing teaching loads while introducing new research policies, incentives and funding.

The convocation was attended by Supreme Court Judge Justice Surya Kant, Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, and TN Ninan, former chairperson and editor of Business Standard.

Justice Kant described law as a tool for transformation, calling graduates “social engineers”, who must use their knowledge to serve society. He urged them to define careers through integrity, success, and legacy.

“As you rise, your duty is to mentor, challenge exclusion, and create opportunities. Your legacy depends on the impact you leave on others,” he said.

Ninan praised NLSIU for producing graduates with integrity and values of public service. He underlined the symbiotic bond between journalism and the judiciary, stressing the role of freedom of speech and specialised legal reporting in building public trust in courts.

Mishra reminded graduates that law is a trust, not a trade. “The true worth of a lawyer lies in defending the voiceless, preserving freedom, and upholding dignity — not money or titles,” he said.

Student representative Vibha Swaminathan called graduation both an ending and a beginning, bound by hope. “Hope fuels the imagination of better futures... drawn from past leaders and movements who fought for justice at great cost,” she said, citing leaders like Nelson Mandela, Dr Ambedkar and Periyar.