Chief Justice Receives Harvard Law School's "Award for Global Leadership"

Chief Justice Of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud was on Saturday felicitated with the "Award for Global Leadership" by the Harvard Law School.

The Chief Justice was announced as the recipient of the award in January this year in an online ceremony.

The CJI, who was present at the Harvard Law School with David Wilkins, Professor at Harvard Law School and Faculty Director, spoke about the initiatives taken by the Supreme Court during his first year of tenure, which included the use of technology in court processes, the launch of handbook on combating gender stereotypes and others.

He also emphasised the importance of interdisciplinary studies, adding that issues of medical science or technology are connected to the workings of law.

Referring to the legal aid clinics, he stated that law students should be involved in clinical legal models, where they are actively involved in real-time cases in local areas.

Asked whether the legal profession can be democratized, he referred to the new law clerks' scheme implemented in his tenure, which provides equal access to all to apply for a clerkship at the Supreme Court. He also shared his concern about the mental health of lawyers.

He suggested that apart from senior lawyers and judges, the law schools should also develop a mechanism to train the students in handling stress and mental health.

The CJI, who had obtained an LLM degree and a Doctorate in Juridical Sciences (SJD) from the Harvard Law School, also interacted with the students and faculty members of various departments.

The felicitation comes at a time when the Harvard Law School is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its Graduate Law Program.