Bhubaneswar, Nov. 6: Students of law should not be satisfied with studying the law books but enlarge their vision to analyse everything happening around them to get the correct perspective of society, Justice Debabrata Dash, Judge of Orissa High Court, said on Sunday.
“You should have a mind to delve deep into legal provisions and try to understand the same to widen your knowledge and perspective,” Justice Dash said while addressing the 12th Orientation Program for fresh students who got admission into the 2022-23 academic session at the SOA National Institute of Law (SNIL), faculty of legal studies of SOA, here.
Justice Dash said the objective of law students should never be to pass out of the institute with good marks only but they should minutely observe happenings and developments in the society. “Your future doesn’t depend on the marks you secure in examinations, but on how you perform in your chosen field,” he said.
Congratulating the students for opting to study law, he told them that they had chosen a good institute with good teachers
The program, which was presided over by SOA’s Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Pradipta Kumar Nanda, was also addressed by two eminent lawyers, Mr. Surya Prasad Mishra and Mr. Sanjit Mohanty. Prof. S.A.K. Azad, Dean of the institute, Prof. Jayadeb Pati and Prof. Prabir Kumar Patnaik, both senior professors, also spoke.
The freshers have taken admission into BA LL.B (Hons), BBA LL.B (Hons), LL.B (Hons) and LL.M courses.
Mr. Mishra, also a former Advocate General of Odisha, said a student of law has to keep learning all his life while pointing out that knowledge, wisdom and intellect were the important ingredients to become a successful legal practitioner.
Advising the freshers to develop the habit of reading all varieties of books which would expand their thinking, he said they should seek guidance from the teachers to excel in life. “You should participate in all extra-curricular activities including in debates and Moot Courts to make your presence felt,” he said.
Mr. Mohanty said the students studying law had the opportunity to become lawyers, join the civil service or work in the corporate sector. “It provides you a vast field and even offers the opportunity to become lawyer-politicians like Mr. Kapil Sibal, Mr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi or Mr. P. Chidambaram,” he said adding “you must also read the biographies of famous lawyers like M.K. Nambiar, Nani Palkhivala, Soli Sorabjee and Fali Nariman.”