Beyond the Victory: An Agenda for the Professional Growth of the Bar
The dust has settled on the elections. The garlands have been exchanged, and the victory speeches delivered. I extend my heartiest congratulations to the newly elected committee of the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association. But as the celebrations fade, a sobering reality must take its place. You are taking charge at a time when our profession stands at a crossroads.
As a member of this Association, I do not just offer you my wishes; I offer you a checklist of expectations. However, I am not writing to demand better canteen menus or parking slots. My focus is deeper. I am writing to propose a roadmap for the professional development of our members. This is a mandate to move beyond annual promises and invest in the intellectual and practical growth of the Bar—empowering the practitioner of the present and securing the lawyer of the future.
1. From 'Academic' to 'Vocational': A New Education Calendar
Historically, our Association has conducted various 'Continuing Legal Education' (CLE) sessions. While well-intentioned, we must be honest in our assessment: most have failed to achieve the desired impact because they remained stubbornly academic. A practicing lawyer does not need another lecture on the theoretical history of a statute; they need vocational training on how to apply it in a courtroom.
We must shift our focus. I propose that the new committee publish a fixed Annual Educational Calendar at the start of its tenure. Furthermore, one Executive Committee member—specifically one with a genuine passion for this subject—should be designated as the General Convener for professional development. We should perhaps rebrand this wing as 'Professional Capacity Building' and ensure specific funds are generated to sustain high-quality, practical training.
2. The Hidden Gems: Mapping Our Internal Resources
A skeptic might ask: "Where do we find the experts to design such a curriculum?" The answer, often, is standing right next to us in the corridor.
I recently met Adv. P.U. George (George Parappully Uthuppu) in the High Court. To the casual observer, he is just another advocate. However, he is a seasoned Educator and Curriculum Developer with over two decades of experience in international institutions in Indonesia and South Africa. Here is a man who specializes in curriculum design, yet his skills remain unutilized by the Bar.
Please click here for his linkedin profile https: //www.linkedin.com/in/george-parappully-uthuppu-91444a4a/
He is not an isolated case. Our Bar is filled with such 'Hidden Gems'—members with expertise in diverse fields. I urge the Committee to conduct a 'Talent Mapping' exercise. Let us identify these resourceful members and collaborate with them to design our training modules. We do not need to look outside; we need to look within.
3. The 'Cinema Paradox': Democratizing Arbitration
Regarding the opportunities at the High Court Arbitration Centre, I am reminded of a fabled story from the golden age of Malayalam cinema.
It is said that a young, unassuming aspirant once approached a prominent director for a role. The director, dismissing the young man's ordinary appearance, mocked him: 'How dare you ask for a role when the screen is ruled by glamorous superstars like Prem Nazir?'
The young man’s written reply was sharp and logical. He wrote back saying that even Prem Nazir's character in the cinema surely employs a driver, a cook, or a gardener. He argued that those employees would not look like Prem Nazir, and since those roles did not require glamour, he was merely applying for one of them.
I am not sure if the director was pleased enough by this logic to offer him a role. However, I am certain of one thing: This logic definitely does not work at our High Court Arbitration Centre.
Today, the practicing advocate faces a similar 'Director' in the form of the Arbitration Centre rules. The requirement that an advocate must have 'prior experience as an arbitrator' and 'written awards' to be empanelled effectively reserves the field for the 'Prem Nazirs' of the legal world—Retired Judges and Senior Advocates. It creates an impossible cycle: If the system never gives an advocate their first appointment—how can they ever acquire the 'prior experience' required to enter?
I speak from personal experience. Despite holding a Post Graduate Diploma in Arbitration from an english university and being a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), I chose not to apply for empanelment. Why? Because the rules offer no exception for professional qualifications. I realized there are better things to do than to invite the indignity of a rejection.
4. Breaking the Cycle: The Tribunal Secretary Protocol
How do we break this cycle? By institutionalizing the role of the Tribunal Secretary.In global hubs like London and Singapore, young lawyers enter the field not as Arbitrators, but as Secretaries who manage the case for the Tribunal.
My proposal is three-fold:
Train: The Association must launch a vocational course to train young lawyers as Tribunal Secretaries (I offer my support in drafting this syllabus).
Lobby: We must ensure the Centre encourages the appointment of these trained lawyers in ongoing arbitrations.
Recognize: Crucially, service as a Tribunal Secretary must count as 'prior experience' for future empanelment as an Arbitrator
5. The Interns: From Exclusion to Inclusion
Finally, I look at the youngest presence in our corridors—the law interns. Currently, their only interaction with our 'system' is often a board in the Coffee House saying "Interns not allowed between 1:00 PM and 1:45 PM."We must remember that the future Chief Justice of India might be standing in that queue. We have a duty to guide them. The Association must coordinate with the Registry to provide a Structured Internship Protocol—a 'High Court Playbook' and guided tours that connect their textbooks to the Registry's offices as well as the Bench. Let us be the body that welcomes them, not the one that excludes them.To the new Committee: You have the mandate. You have the resources. And as I have highlighted, you have the talent within the Bar to make this happen. We await your action.
A skeptic might ask: "Where do we find the experts to design such a curriculum?" The answer, often, is standing right next to us in the corridor.
I recently met Adv. P.U. George (George Parappully Uthuppu) in the High Court. To the casual observer, he is just another advocate. However, he is a seasoned Educator and Curriculum Developer with over two decades of experience in international institutions in Indonesia and South Africa. Here is a man who specializes in curriculum design, yet his skills remain unutilized by the Bar.
Please click here for his linkedin profile https: //www.linkedin.com/in/george-parappully-uthuppu-91444a4a/
He is not an isolated case. Our Bar is filled with such 'Hidden Gems'—members with expertise in diverse fields. I urge the Committee to conduct a 'Talent Mapping' exercise. Let us identify these resourceful members and collaborate with them to design our training modules. We do not need to look outside; we need to look within.
3. The 'Cinema Paradox': Democratizing Arbitration
Regarding the opportunities at the High Court Arbitration Centre, I am reminded of a fabled story from the golden age of Malayalam cinema.
It is said that a young, unassuming aspirant once approached a prominent director for a role. The director, dismissing the young man's ordinary appearance, mocked him: 'How dare you ask for a role when the screen is ruled by glamorous superstars like Prem Nazir?'
The young man’s written reply was sharp and logical. He wrote back saying that even Prem Nazir's character in the cinema surely employs a driver, a cook, or a gardener. He argued that those employees would not look like Prem Nazir, and since those roles did not require glamour, he was merely applying for one of them.
I am not sure if the director was pleased enough by this logic to offer him a role. However, I am certain of one thing: This logic definitely does not work at our High Court Arbitration Centre.
Today, the practicing advocate faces a similar 'Director' in the form of the Arbitration Centre rules. The requirement that an advocate must have 'prior experience as an arbitrator' and 'written awards' to be empanelled effectively reserves the field for the 'Prem Nazirs' of the legal world—Retired Judges and Senior Advocates. It creates an impossible cycle: If the system never gives an advocate their first appointment—how can they ever acquire the 'prior experience' required to enter?
I speak from personal experience. Despite holding a Post Graduate Diploma in Arbitration from an english university and being a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), I chose not to apply for empanelment. Why? Because the rules offer no exception for professional qualifications. I realized there are better things to do than to invite the indignity of a rejection.
4. Breaking the Cycle: The Tribunal Secretary Protocol
How do we break this cycle? By institutionalizing the role of the Tribunal Secretary.In global hubs like London and Singapore, young lawyers enter the field not as Arbitrators, but as Secretaries who manage the case for the Tribunal.
My proposal is three-fold:
Train: The Association must launch a vocational course to train young lawyers as Tribunal Secretaries (I offer my support in drafting this syllabus).
Lobby: We must ensure the Centre encourages the appointment of these trained lawyers in ongoing arbitrations.
Recognize: Crucially, service as a Tribunal Secretary must count as 'prior experience' for future empanelment as an Arbitrator
5. The Interns: From Exclusion to Inclusion
Finally, I look at the youngest presence in our corridors—the law interns. Currently, their only interaction with our 'system' is often a board in the Coffee House saying "Interns not allowed between 1:00 PM and 1:45 PM."We must remember that the future Chief Justice of India might be standing in that queue. We have a duty to guide them. The Association must coordinate with the Registry to provide a Structured Internship Protocol—a 'High Court Playbook' and guided tours that connect their textbooks to the Registry's offices as well as the Bench. Let us be the body that welcomes them, not the one that excludes them.To the new Committee: You have the mandate. You have the resources. And as I have highlighted, you have the talent within the Bar to make this happen. We await your action.
3. The 'Cinema Paradox': Democratizing Arbitration
Regarding the opportunities at the High Court Arbitration Centre, I am reminded of a fabled story from the golden age of Malayalam cinema.
It is said that a young, unassuming aspirant once approached a prominent director for a role. The director, dismissing the young man's ordinary appearance, mocked him: 'How dare you ask for a role when the screen is ruled by glamorous superstars like Prem Nazir?'
The young man’s written reply was sharp and logical. He wrote back saying that even Prem Nazir's character in the cinema surely employs a driver, a cook, or a gardener. He argued that those employees would not look like Prem Nazir, and since those roles did not require glamour, he was merely applying for one of them.
I am not sure if the director was pleased enough by this logic to offer him a role. However, I am certain of one thing: This logic definitely does not work at our High Court Arbitration Centre.
Today, the practicing advocate faces a similar 'Director' in the form of the Arbitration Centre rules. The requirement that an advocate must have 'prior experience as an arbitrator' and 'written awards' to be empanelled effectively reserves the field for the 'Prem Nazirs' of the legal world—Retired Judges and Senior Advocates. It creates an impossible cycle: If the system never gives an advocate their first appointment—how can they ever acquire the 'prior experience' required to enter?
I speak from personal experience. Despite holding a Post Graduate Diploma in Arbitration from an english university and being a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), I chose not to apply for empanelment. Why? Because the rules offer no exception for professional qualifications. I realized there are better things to do than to invite the indignity of a rejection.
4. Breaking the Cycle: The Tribunal Secretary Protocol
In global hubs like London and Singapore, young lawyers enter the field not as Arbitrators, but as Secretaries who manage the case for the Tribunal.
My proposal is three-fold:
Train: The Association must launch a vocational course to train young lawyers as Tribunal Secretaries (I offer my support in drafting this syllabus).
Lobby: We must ensure the Centre encourages the appointment of these trained lawyers in ongoing arbitrations.
Recognize: Crucially, service as a Tribunal Secretary must count as 'prior experience' for future empanelment as an Arbitrator
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