A Wake-Up Call for Legal Education: Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque Reviews “The Unwritten Conundrum”

High Court Book Review & Special Address

A Landmark Gathering on Practical Legal Education

Legal scholars, judges, advocates, and students gathered for the formal review and discussion of The Unwritten Conundrum: Cracking an Implicit Code. Hosted by the Project Complete Lawyer (PCL) Foundation, the session served as an open evaluation of modern Indian legal pedagogy and the structural changes needed to prepare law students for active practice.

Dignitaries addressing the gathering included:

• Hon’ble Mr. Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque, Judge, High Court of Kerala
• Dr. Suja Bhaskar, Former Principal, Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram
• Adv. Johnson Gomez, President, PCL Foundation
• Adv. Arun Johnny, Treasurer, PCL Foundation
• Adv. Bindu Sreekumar, Vice President, PCL Foundation
• Naomi Rohan & Abhinav Anil, Co-authors

Special Address by Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque: Addressing the Market Disconnect

In his review and address, Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque praised the young student authors for capturing the court experience with honesty and curiosity, comparing a new law graduate entering the High Court to a first-time flier navigating an international airport terminal.

Justice Mustaque addressed several key structural issues in legal education:

• The Absence of Clinical Education: Pointing to World Justice Project findings, he highlighted that while significant portions of the population lack effective access to justice, countless law graduates struggle for financial and professional footing. This gap stems from law curricula heavily favoring theoretical memorization over procedural competence and clinical training.
• The Supply-Demand Mismatch: The legal education sector must develop specialized aptitudes tailored to modern market demands—such as technology law, mediation, arbitration, and regulatory compliance—rather than teaching procedural codes purely as memory exercises.
• Responsibility of the Bar: Calling upon bar associations and institutions to prioritize continuing legal education and formal mentorship programs over purely ceremonial events.

Institutional Reflections and Next Steps

In her presidential address, Dr. Suja Bhaskar noted that the book captures the mixture of awe and trepidation that every generation of lawyers feels upon entering the High Court, commending the authors for translating their observations into an accessible guide for future interns.

Introducing the work, Adv. Arun Johnny highlighted that the book does not attempt to serve as a conventional doctrinal textbook; rather, it functions as a grounded playbook designed to help students understand the living, human environment of the court.

The event concluded with Justice Mustaque presenting merit and excellence awards to student interns who completed the PCL Real Estate Law Internship, organized in collaboration with LJRF.