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From The Mentor

When I was asked to mentor this book “100 Legal
Luminaries of India” it took me on a trip down the
memory lane. I remembered those early times when I
entered the law profession when the passion
of newly acquired freedom was on and we lawyers had
a burning desire to build an equitable and
happy society. Law for us was not just a profession,
it was a passion. It satisfied the innate urge to
serve the society.
It brought back memories of the days when we would
sit in the “Gol Canteen” at Tees Hazari Courts,
sipping tea and discussing politics and various social
issues. Some of those contemporaries went to become
celebrated lawyers, ministers, members of Parliament,
and many were elevated as judges.
I would like to add that when in government as
a political leader, or a minister, or heading any
constitutional body, a lawyer definitely has an
edge. With his analytical skills and logical thinking
he is able to steer legislation and serve society in a
judicious manner.
I am honoured to have the opportunity to introduce
the prominent legal luminaries to the readers. I would
like to compliment the team, Sangeeta Sharma,
Qazi M. Raghib, Irene Gupta, Ambica Gulati, Jitendra
Sharma and Sudeep Kapoor for putting together
the stories of the lives of these stalwarts in a
commendable manner.
I do hope those featured in the book also enjoyed their
nostalgic trip.

Dr. Lalit Bhasin

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About The Book

About Those Who Fight For Justice

The word law is quite a jolt to most of us. It brings forth images
of people standing on their guard, dictating right and wrong,
stiff perhaps a little harsh. In reality, law is nothing like this. Law
is the ability to bring a balance in all things. It is what keeps all of us tied
with strings of justice. We feel lawfully righted that there are rules which
govern us, which help us overcome feelings and situations connected to a
sense of injustice.

The lady who holds the scales of justice, weighing the situations till
they are balanced is blindfolded. This is the image we see on all places
when it comes to law. This is the ability to weigh facts, pros and cons in
an objective manner.

Laws have been made by humans for humans. They are the rules
which influence society. These are the rules which ensure humans learn
to accept the ways of each other in a harmonious way. And we are
looking at these balance creators who have changed the society in their
own ways. They have dedicated their lives for the welfare of the people.
There are many heroes in the legal world. We would like you to know
about all of them, including those unsung. But given our constraints,
we are able to cover 100 top legal luminaries.
This book has tried to capture the person behind the law coat, the person with his strengths, weaknesses,
families and friends and society’s scrutiny. These 100 men/women of law have contributed in every sphere of
the society. In their own ways, they continue to bring about a just, peaceful, prosperous and happy contended
society. The 100 great men and women featured have achieved pinnacles of success, not through comfort
and shortcuts but by setting goals and walking an arduous path whether as eminent lawyers, heads of India’s
topmost law firms, in-house counsel and the law teachers.
Initially this project was conceptualised as a book on lawyers for law firms, but it was the brain child of
Dr. Lalit Bhasin to include eminent senior counsel, In-house counsel and the top law teachers of the country’s
law schools. Dr. Bhasin’s role as a mentor helped us immensely to complete the book.
Laws have been for a civil, peaceful, happy and contented society. We felicitate these 100 law
professionals for helping make the world a peaceful place to live in. We hope you enjoy reading the book as
much as we enjoyed making it.
We know and acknowledge that some of the great names have possibly been missed out. The omissions are
not wilful - but could have occurred due to time and space constraints. Our research is ongoing and we hope to
bring another edition in the not too distant future.
The photographs and write-ups are presented in alphabetical order.

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Editor
Sangeeta Sharma
Creative Director

Qazi M Raghib
Writer

Irene Gupta
Photo Editor
Jitendra Sharma
Photographer
Sudeep Kapoor

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