Lawyers

Apple taps Meta's chief legal officer as general counsel in latest shake-up

The latest reshuffle follows the departure last month of Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, long the No 2 to Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook

Women lawyers to take on leadership roles, but barriers persist: Survey

An SCBA survey shows women lawyers keen to lead, yet gender bias, pay gaps, limited mentorship and motherhood pressures continue to restrict equal access to leadership roles

No law student can be barred from exams over lack of attendance: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court on Monday ruled that no law student in the country should be detained from sitting in examinations due to lack of minimum attendance. The high court, which passed a slew of directions in relation to mandatory attendance requirement in law colleges, asked the Bar Council of India (BCI) to modify the mandatory attendance norms. Due to shortage of attendance, student's promotion to next semester class cannot be withheld, it said. A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Sharma passed the order while disposing of a suo motu petition, initiated by the Supreme Court, in relation to the death of law student Sushant Rohilla by suicide in 2016 after allegedly being barred from sitting for the semester exams due to lack of requisite attendance. Having heard at length the submission of all stakeholders in this case over the course of hearing and having considered the stark realities that have come to the surface, this court is strongly of the view that norms education in

BCI warns law firms against foreign tie-ups, clarifies cross-border limits

Bar Council reiterates that foreign law firms cannot practise Indian law, warns against joint branding or alliances that create the appearance of integrated operations

‘I have no regrets’: Lawyer who attacked CJI Gavai says it was ‘God's will’ | Supreme Court

The lawyer who threw a shoe at the Chief Justice of India, BR Gavai, says he has no regrets for his actions.

Delhi HC quashes NHAI notice mandating CLAT-PG score for lawyer recruitment

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday set aside a notification of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) making scores of CLAT-PG a basis for the recruitment of lawyers. A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela allowed a petition challenging the August 11 notification of the NHAI. "The writ petition is allowed. Resultantly, the recruitment criteria given in the notification is quashed," the bench said while pronouncing its judgment. The detailed judgment is awaited. The court's verdict came on a plea challenging a notification of the NHAI making scores of CLAT-PG a basis for the recruitment of lawyers. On September 18, the court stayed the notification, saying there seemed no rationale behind the process. According to the petition filed by Shannu Bahgel, a lawyer, any score of a candidate in the Common Law Admission Test 2022 (Post Graduate) (CLAT-PG) cannot be made the basis for public employment, as it is conducted only for assessing

'Unconstitutional': Nepal parties, lawyers slam Parliament dissolution

Nepal's major political parties and apex lawyers' body have strongly criticised the president's decision to dissolve parliament, describing the move as "unconstitutional", "arbitrary" and a serious blow to democracy. The criticism followed Friday's recommendation by the first cabinet meeting chaired by interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki to dissolve the House of Representatives, a proposal that President Ram Chandra Paudel promptly approved. The house was dissolved with effect from 11 pm on September 12, 2025, according to a notice issued by the President's Office. The president also fixed March 21, 2026, as the date for holding fresh parliamentary elections, it said. Political parties across the spectrum slammed the dissolution move. Disapproving of the move, Nepali Congress (NC), the largest political party of the country, warned that any action violating the Constitution would be unacceptable. The Central Executive Committee meeting of the Nepali Congress held on Saturday ...

Delhi HC to hear plea against NHAI using CLAT-PG scores for lawyer jobs

The Delhi High Court will hear on September 8 a petition challenging a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) notification making scores of CLAT-PG a basis for the recruitment of lawyers. A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, which recently heard the matter briefly, granted time to the NHAI's counsel to get instructions on the issue. The court has listed the petition for further hearing on Monday. According to the petition filed by Shannu Bahgel, a practising lawyer, any score of a candidate in the Common Law Admission Test 2022 (Post Graduate) (CLAT-PG) cannot be made the basis for public employment as it is conducted only for assessing the merit of the respective candidates holding an LL.B degree to pursue a master's degree in law. It was argued on behalf of the petitioner that the purpose of selection pursuant to the August 11 notification is not to pursue a master's degree in law but to provide services of a legal ...

Gupta lawyers fail to appear for London hearing in Trafigura fraud case

Gupta has said in his defence that Trafigura staff devised the scheme at the centre of the case to substitute low-value materials such as scrap for high-grade nickel

Australian lawyer apologises for AI-generated errors in murder case

A senior lawyer in Australia has apologised to a judge for filing submissions in a murder case that included fake quotes and non-existent case judgments generated by artificial intelligence. The blunder in the Supreme Court of Victoria state is another in a litany of mishaps AI has caused in justice systems around the world. Defence lawyer Rishi Nathwani, who holds the prestigious legal title of King's Counsel, took full responsibility for filing incorrect information in submissions in the case of a teenager charged with murder, according to court documents seen by The Associated Press on Friday. We are deeply sorry and embarrassed for what occurred, Nathwani told Justice James Elliott on Wednesday, on behalf of the defence team. The AI-generated errors caused a 24-hour delay in resolving a case that Elliott had hoped to conclude on Wednesday. Elliott ruled on Thursday that Nathwani's client, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, was not guilty of murder because of mental

How this celebrity coach is reshaping wellness and business

From training Bollywood celebs and IPL players to building SOHFIT and now The Func Lab, Sohrab Khushrushahi shares how he turned passion into purpose-driven businesses.

Lawyers must reorientate their identity as facilitators of justice: Ex-CJI

Former Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has said lawyers should reorientate their identity as "facilitators of justice before everything", and also stressed that ethics should be prioritised. There is no shortcut for success, and the students of law should be lifelong learners and independent thinkers, he said addressing law students here on Saturday during the Vishnupant Advant lecture series on the topic 'The Present and Future of Law Business: Opportunities and Challenges'. The former CJI asked students to keep upgrading themselves. "There is a need for lawyers to reorientate their identity as facilitators of justice before everything. The students should be lifelong learners. Guidance should be taken but the thinking should remain independent," he said. "The ethics should be at the topmost and there should be sympathy for the deprived in our minds. If the new generation takes efforts to learn and deliver honest service, there are huge opportunities in the field of law," .

State Bar Councils, BCI cannot charge 'optional' fee from new lawyers: SC

State Bar Councils or the Bar Council of India cannot collect any "optional" fee other than the statutory charge from law graduates enrolling as lawyers, the Supreme Court has said while asking the Karnataka State Bar Council to stop collecting any such amount. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan passed the direction on a contempt plea filed by K L J A Kiran Babu, alleging that directions issued by this court in July last year on not charging exorbitant fees from enrolling law graduates by state bar councils, especially the Karnataka State Bar Council are not being complied with in letter and spirit. The Bar Council of India, in its affidavit, said all state bar councils are complying with the directions of the court and the Rs 6,800 charged by the Karnataka State Bar Council for ID cards, certificates, welfare fund, and training, among others, and Rs 25,000 over and above the statutory fees are optional and not mandatory. "We make it clear that there is nothing like

CJI Gavai bars senior lawyers from listing cases for urgent hearing

Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai on Wednesday said that from August 11, no senior advocate will be permitted to mention cases for urgent listing and hearing in his court so that juniors get an opportunity to do it. CJI Gavai, who was sworn in on May 14, had reverted to the practice of oral mentioning of cases for urgent listing and hearing by lawyers and discontinued the practice adopted by his predecessor Justice Sanjiv Khanna. Justice Khanna discontinued the practice of oral submissions for urgent listing and hearing of cases by lawyers and asked them to either send emails or written letters instead. "There is a great demand that no matters should be mentioned by senior counsel(s)," CJI Gavai said. He asked the court staff to put out a notice that no senior lawyer will be permitted to mention cases for urgent listing and hearing in his court from Monday. "From Monday, no senior counsel, I mean designated senior counsel, will be allowed to mention matters. Let juniors get a

SC concerned over ED summoning lawyers for advice, may frame guidelines

The Enforcement Directorate is "crossing all limits", the Supreme Court said on Monday as it expressed serious concern over the agency summoning advocates for offering legal advice or representing clients during investigations. It also called for guidelines on the matter. The remarks from an apex court bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran came during a suo motu hearing initiated by the court to address the implications of such actions on the independence of the legal profession. The communication between a lawyer and the clients is privileged communication and how can the notices be issued against them they are crossing all limits, the CJI said. Guidelines should be framed, the CJI said while responding to submissions that recent ED notices to legal professionals like senior advocate Arvind Datar could have a chilling effect on the practice of law. Attorney General R Vennkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the issue had been taken up at the .

Global Human Rights Groups slam China's ongoing crackdown on lawyers at UN

Crackdown started on July 9, 2015, when more than 300 lawyers and legal advocates were targeted by police, marking largest organised suppression of legal professionals in the China's's recent history

Summonses issued to Saluja's lawyers cause unrest among legal fraternity

The legal fraternity raises alarms after ED summons senior advocates Datar and Venugopal over advice in the Religare-Care Health ESOP case, citing threats to legal independence

To prepare a centralised registry of all lawyers, law firms, says BCI

The Bar Council of India plans a national registry and new body for law firms, accusing SILF of gatekeeping and stifling smaller practices over foreign lawyer rules

Delhi HC grants relief to CLAT-PG candidates, asks to declare results soon

The Delhi High Court on Friday granted relief to CLAT-PG candidates over alleged discrepancies in the answer key and directed the consortium of NLUs to declare results soon. A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela's decision came over the plea of students in relation to a couple of answers in the key. The court, however, rejected the objection with respect to the declared answer to a third question, and asked the consortium of national law universities (NLUs) to accordingly award marks to the candidates. The court passed the order while deciding three pleas seeking rectification of errors in the final answer key of the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT)-PG 2025. The bench's verdict highlighted the issue of a high fee of Rs 1,000 charged by the consortium per question for raising the objection to the provisional answer key, observing there ought to be a "fine balance" between the concerns of the candidates and the institutions. While comparing the fee cha

Senior lawyers should not argue cases during summer recess, says SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said senior lawyers should not argue cases during summer recess. A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma said junior lawyers should be given opportunities during vacation. "Senior lawyers should not argue cases during these partial working days," the bench told senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Neeraj Kishan Kaul. The lawyers were appearing in a plea filed against an order of the National Company Law Tribunal. One of the counsels in the matter mentioned the matter seeking adjournment as senior advocate Shyam Divan was not available. The top court has rechristened its traditional summer vacations as "partial court working days". The development was a part of an amendment in Supreme Court Rules, 2013, which have now become Supreme Court (Second Amendment) Rules, 2024, notified on November 5. "The length of the partial court working days and the number of holidays for the court and the offices of t