News & Events
National Conference of Indian Women in Law
We are delighted to have been part of the organising team for the First National Conference of Indian Women in Law – “Half the Nation, Half the Bench: Bridge the Gap, Balance the Bench.” The conference was organised under the guidance of Senior Advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani and Senior Advocate Shobha Gupta, whose vision and leadership made this important initiative possible. We are truly grateful and overwhelmed to have been included in the organising team and to contribute to a platform dedicated to strengthening women’s representation in the legal profession.
Members of our team were delighted to participate in the First National Conference of Indian Women in Law – “Half the Nation, Half the Bench: Bridge the Gap, Balance the Bench,” organised at the Supreme Court of India, New Delhi, on 8 March 2026, marking the occasion of International Women’s Day.
The conference brought together distinguished members of the judiciary, the Bar, and the wider legal fraternity to deliberate upon the important issue of women’s representation in the higher judiciary and the broader constitutional vision of building an inclusive and balanced Bench.
The event was graced by Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, as the Chief Guest, along with eminent jurists including Justice B. V. Nagarathna, Justice N. V. Ramana (Former Chief Justice of India), Justice P. S. Narasimha, Justice Vijay Bishnoi, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, and Justice Dipankar Datta, as well as several distinguished judges from various High Courts across the country.
The conference featured insightful panel discussions addressing key aspects of women’s representation in the judiciary:
- Enhancing Women’s Representation on the Bench – Emphasising the importance of increasing women’s representation in the higher judiciary so that the Bench more accurately reflects the diversity of the society it serves and strengthens public confidence in the justice delivery system.
- Encouraging Participation of Women at the Bar – Recognising that women representation at the Bar, pursuant to the 30% representation ordered by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, which marks a significant milestone in promoting women’s in the legal profession. The discussions also placed on record sincere appreciation for this progressive step and emphasised the importance of further encouraging and supporting women advocates within Bar Associations and Bar Councils so that this progress continues to grow and more women are empowered to participate actively in the justice delivery system.
- Addressing Institutional and Professional Barriers – Acknowledging the structural and professional challenges faced by women lawyers, particularly in relation to judicial appointments, judgeship, and career advancement within the profession.
- Strengthening Mentorship and Professional Support – Highlighting the importance of mentorship networks, institutional support mechanisms, and equal professional opportunities to enable women lawyers to progress at every stage of their careers.
- Promoting Diversity as a Constitutional Value – Reinforcing that diversity within the judiciary is not merely aspirational but is intrinsically linked to constitutional principles of equality, fairness, and inclusive governance.
- Creating Pathways for Judgeship – Encouraging initiatives that facilitate women’s participation in judgeship and strengthen pathways for women advocates to progress towards judicial appointments. Leadership should be replace by judgeshi.
- Institutional Reforms for Gender Inclusivity – Discussing the need for long-term structural reforms and policy initiatives that actively promote greater women’s representation within judicial appointments and institutional frameworks.
- Building an Inclusive Legal Ecosystem – Fostering a professional environment where merit, inclusivity, and equal opportunity collectively contribute to a stronger, more responsive, and representative justice delivery system.
The sessions were moderated by eminent Senior Advocates including Meenakshi Arora, Menaka Guruswamy, Jayna Kothari, Haripriya Padmanabhan, Anitha Shenoy, N. S. Nappinai, Karuna Nundy, and Uttara Babbar, whose insights significantly enriched the discussions.
The conference served as an important platform for advancing dialogue on constitutional equality, women’s representation in the judiciary, and institutional reform, while reinforcing the collective responsibility of the legal community to promote greater participation of women within the justice delivery system.
📍 Venue:
Auditorium, 3rd Floor, Block-C, Administrative Buildings Complex
Supreme Court of India, Mathura Road, New Delhi