New Delhi, Sept. 7 -- My journey alongside the titan began in 2015, when I had the privilege of joining him as a Chamber Junior. The day I stepped into the chambers of Ram Jethmalani remains etched in my memory with razor-sharp clarity. Walking into that hallowed space felt less like starting a new job and more like stepping onto an intimidating, historic battlefield. My hands were cold, my chest tight with sheer, overwhelming nervousness; after all, I was about to stand face to face with a living institution whose very name commanded awe across courts, parliaments, and headlines. Every instinct warned me that the margin for error in his presence was non-existent.
Yet, that paralysing apprehension dissolved the moment I met the man behind the myth. While his reputation as the undisputed giant of the Bar preceded him, his chamber was defined not by intimidation but by an extraordinary, disarming generosity of spirit. In our profession, legends are often spoken of in the past tense, but for anyone who ever stepped into law, Ram Jethmalani was, and remains, the god of the craft. When Ram Sir was alive, securing an opportunity to work under his guidance was the ultimate dream for an aspiring lawyer. To walk into his chambers was to walk into the nerve centre of Indian jurisprudence. Yet, while the country remembers him for his fierce wit, towering intellect, and razor-sharp courtroom battles, those of us fortunate enough to assist him remember a man who was an even greater human being than he was a lawyer.
The public saw the theatrical brilliance of his cross-examinations and arguments, but the real alchemy happened behind closed doors. The most enriching chapter of my legal life was watching him and assisting him as he prepared for the briefs. Despite decades of unmatched mastery and a global reputation, he never took a single fact for granted. He would go through the brief word by word. Not even the smallest, most obscure document escaped his diligent scrutiny. While many senior advocates rely heavily on their briefing counsel or juniors, Ram Sir never outsourced his command of the record. He insisted on reading everything himself, no matter the volume, no matter the hour.
Watching him work was both an awe-inspiring masterclass and a profoundly humbling experience. He would sit for hours on end, engrossed in the papers without taking a break, possessing a level of focus and concentration so absolute that it often made me feel ashamed that I didn't possess even an ounce of it. Yet, he never made his juniors feel small. Instead, his work ethic became our syllabus. Under his wing, I learned the sacred craft of how to truly read a brief, how to structure and write articles, and what real professional discipline demanded.
Beyond the black robes and the legal mechanics, Ram Sir taught us how to live. His zest for life was infectious. He taught his juniors that no matter how gruelling the trial, how complex the brief, or how difficult the circumstances, one must learn to enjoy life fully. No matter the pressure bearing down on a case, he always carried a warm smile on his face.
Early on September 8, 2019, I received a call, and it was hard to believe he was gone, but impossible to imagine him at rest. If there is a court in the heavens, there is no doubt what he is doing: briefs thoroughly read, witnesses in the box, smile intact, giving God Himself a relentless, brilliant fight.
Rest in peace and with God, Ram Sir. Your loss was not only a loss to our nation but a deeply personal one for me. The profession honours your genius, but I will forever carry your warmth, your discipline, and your fearless spirit.
Views expressed are personal. The writer is a practising Advocate in Supreme Court and High Court
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.