Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Sunday called on National Law Universities (NLUs) to take the lead in shaping the relationship between law and technology, saying legal education must prepare future lawyers to use technology while retaining independent judgment.

Speaking in Jodhpur, Kant said, “Legal education must lead, not merely adapt to technology.” He said students must be equipped not merely to use technological tools but to “question, verify and exercise independent judgement” while using them.

His remarks come as artificial intelligence and other technology tools are being used for legal research, drafting and analysis.

The CJI said the growing use of technology required law schools to consider how students were trained to assess technology-assisted work, rather than treating technological tools as substitutes for legal reasoning.

Kant's comments place technology and legal education among the issues facing NLUs as the profession changes. The institutions will need to prepare students for a legal environment in which digital tools are increasingly part of research and practice, while maintaining the emphasis on independent legal judgment.

The CJI has previously spoken about the role of technology in the justice system. In an earlier address, he said, “Technology must be treated as part of the legal systems, as part of its core infrastructure, not as an optional upgrade.” He added, “But of course, human judgment must remain at its core.”

The remarks in Jodhpur come amid wider adoption of technology across the judiciary, including e-filing, digital case management and virtual proceedings.