Allahabad High Court Tells Young Lawyers to Build Careers, Not Chase Social Media Likes

The Allahabad High Court in Prayagraj has advised young lawyers to invest their time in study and case preparation rather than in collecting likes on social media, a message delivered as protests and disruptions continued across the court campus. Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal made the observation while hearing a bail plea filed by a person named Rajesh. The remarks, made in open court, were taken up by several Indian publications over the following day.

The judge said some posts circulating online about how the high court functions carried incomplete and distorted information that could create unnecessary friction between the bar and the bench. Advocates, he noted, command respect in society because the public places its trust in the high court, and conduct that undermines that trust damages both institutions.

What the Court Said About Careers

According to accounts of the hearing, the court told young advocates that they are the future of the high court and that most judges and senior counsel are working to create a sound environment for their professional growth. The judges and seniors of today, the court noted, were once young lawyers themselves, and the path to becoming a senior advocate or a judge runs through disciplined preparation rather than online visibility. The observation speaks directly to early-career choices inside the legal profession, where reputation is built on argued matters and drafted filings.

The court asked the High Court Bar Association to examine the issues raised and take appropriate steps to maintain the dignity of the court. It stressed that the standing of advocates covers both private practitioners and government counsel, and that conduct by some members which disrupts the institution is not conducive to the reputation of the bar or the court.

Disruptions on the Campus

The remarks came against the backdrop of unrest at the high court. On October 27, the bar association urged the Chief Justice to take note of allegations that a lawyer had been ill-treated in the courtroom of Justice Ajay Bhanot, including claims that the judge threatened to jail the lawyer and ridiculed a senior counsel. The association warned that its members would boycott that courtroom if no action followed.

The following day, furniture was thrown inside that courtroom and security personnel were deployed on the premises. On October 29, Justice Deshwal noted that people claiming to be advocates had stopped other lawyers from entering his courtroom even though the bar association had issued no official call for a boycott. He described the majority of practitioners at the court as sincere and well-behaved, and he had already ordered that footage from cameras be preserved to identify those involved in the earlier disturbance so that disciplinary and contempt proceedings could follow.

During the bail hearing, the court heard a woman advocate who was trying to enter so she could attend her matter. The judge held that proceedings cannot be stalled simply because one section of advocates does not want the court to function while most lawyers wish to argue their cases.

What to Watch Next

Attention now turns to whether the bar association acts on the court's request and how the disciplinary steps against those identified in the footage proceed. For law graduates and junior lawyers, the episode puts a spotlight on professional conduct rules, courtroom etiquette and the ethics training that firms and bar bodies provide. Courtroom behavior and record keeping remain core skills for anyone building a practice, and the outcome of the contempt proceedings will show how strictly the court intends to enforce them.