Supreme Court justice Sanjay Karol Sunday flagged what he described as a growing disconnect in legal education in India, citing the example of the contrast between the polished world of Netflix series Suits and the reality portrayed in Maamla Legal Hain.

He cautioned that law schools are increasingly producing corporate-focused lawyers rather than professionals attuned to grassroots justice.

Speaking as Chief Guest at an event organised by National Law Institute University Bhopal, Justice Karol said the aspirational pull of high-paying corporate careers is reshaping the priorities of students in National Law Universities.

“We often see on Netflix the show Suits,” Justice Karol observed. "But in reality, when it comes to the justice delivery system in India, things are totally different at the ground level. A large number of students from prestigious institutions are aspiring to become lawyers as we see in Suits, and not lawyers as ought to be in Maamla Legal Hain,” he added, as per legal portal Live Law.

He said such glamorised portrayals risk distancing young lawyers from the everyday struggles embedded in India’s justice delivery system, which he noted is better reflected in grounded narratives like Panchayat and Maamla Legal Hai.

These shows, he said, capture the delays, confusion and structural challenges that legal practitioners routinely face but are rarely addressed in formal education.

Justice Karol stressed that the legal profession must remain anchored in its constitutional mandate to serve all citizens, not just corporate interests. “For us lawyers, each one of us who are students of law, our duty is to see that we transform the lives of the 140 crore Indians regardless of their stature, their economic or social position,” he further said.

He added that the legal profession demands substance over showmanship. Calling the Constitution a living document, Justice Karol urged students to internalise its core values in daily life.