New Delhi, Mar 15 (PTI) Supreme Court Judge Justice Hima Kohli said on Friday she was not deterred from joining the legal profession, a male bastion, in the 1980s when very few women were there.

The apex court judge advised law students not to get disheartened if they do not have any relatives or friends in the legal profession.

Also Read | Cyber Scam in Pune: Techie Duped of Over Rs 1 Crore on Pretext of Online Part-time Job, Probe Underway.

“Unlike the situation today, when I started my career in the mid-1980s, there were very few women in the profession. But that did not deter me. I didn't know that I would end up being a judge, much less a chief justice of a state high court and then a judge of the Supreme Court,” she told a function at the Campus Law Centre (CLC) of the Delhi University.

She was inaugurating the ‘20th K K Luthra Memorial Moot Court-2024' at the CLC.

Also Read | Sangam Digital Twin Initiative: Department of Telecommunication Extends Deadline for Submission of Expression of Interest to April 5.

The two-day event will host 72 teams, including those from the UK, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Zimbabwe and Nepal.

Underlining the importance of hard work and perseverance, the apex court judge said, “Those of you who do not have any family members, relatives or friends in the legal profession, like I did not, do not feel disheartened or inadequate. I do not come from an illustrious legal background. No one in my family belonged to the legal profession.”

As a student of CLC, she had fond memories of interactions with teachers and time spent with friends on the campus over glasses of tea and samosas, Justice Kohli said.

“When you go out to intern in law offices and chambers of senior lawyers, keep your eyes and ears open. Be a sponge and soak in as much as you can. What you will retain will stay for a long time and help in dealing with all kinds of situations in the future. Don't be afraid of asking questions,” she said.

The apex court judge said success was not measured by salary, title or degree, but by the impact lawyers had on people and their collective happiness.

“Learn to be dispassionate and objective when you discharge your duties. But never be clinically cold and indifferent. Ultimately, you are dealing with individuals, their problems, their jobs, their properties, their lives and all those who are attached to them,” she said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)