In a historic recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium on May 22 and 27, 2026, Senior Advocate V. Mohana has been recommended for elevation as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India — marking the culmination of a remarkable legal journey built on perseverance, discipline, and excellence.
A first-generation lawyer with no legal background in her family, V. Mohana’s story is one of determination against all odds. From being part of India’s very first batch of the five-year integrated law course in 1983 to becoming one of the few women designated as Senior Advocates in the Supreme Court, her rise reflects decades of hard work and dedication to the legal profession.
V. Mohana graduated in 1988 from Coimbatore Law College (now Government Law College, Coimbatore), which was then operating from a rented premises with minimal infrastructure. She belonged to the inaugural batch of India’s first-ever five-year integrated law programme introduced after higher secondary education.
Despite limited facilities, few classrooms, and very few women students, she immersed herself in academics, debates, theatre, and public speaking. She often balanced her studies by giving tuition classes while staying in a working women’s hostel with strict timings.
Unlike today’s structured internship culture, Mohana proactively sought practical experience during her final year by joining the chambers of renowned civil lawyer M. Panchapakesan in Coimbatore. There, she learned the fundamentals of litigation the traditional way — maintaining case diaries, taking dictation, drafting pleadings, and observing trial courts firsthand.
That practical exposure became the foundation of her career. She later recalled how rewriting plaints and written statements in large handwritten formats taught her the art of drafting and pleadings — skills she says still guide her legal practice today.
After graduation, she continued under Panchapakesan’s mentorship, working rigorous 12-hour days and slowly gaining confidence in courtrooms that were overwhelmingly male-dominated at the time.
In 1992, when she had just started receiving independent matters in Coimbatore, Mohana took a courageous decision to shift to New Delhi — a move that transformed her career.
She joined the office of future Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra, then an Advocate-on-Record, where she handled drafting of Special Leave Petitions, writ petitions, and briefing senior counsels in major constitutional matters.
Later, she joined the chambers of Senior Advocate C. S. Vaidyanathan to sharpen her research and counsel skills. During this period, she worked on landmark matters including the Amratlal Prajivandas (SAFEMA) case and proceedings connected to the Jain Commission.
Over the years, she worked alongside some of India’s most celebrated legal minds, including Kapil Sibal, K. K. Venugopal, P. Chidambaram, Arun Jaitley and T. R. Andhyarujina.
After clearing the prestigious Advocate-on-Record examination in 1996 while raising a young child, Mohana began independent practice before the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, and various tribunals.
She also served as a panel lawyer for the Government of India, handling matters involving constitutional law, corruption, narcotics, criminal law, service law, and civil disputes.
Beyond litigation, she actively participated in mediation, legal aid, and pro bono representation. She regularly appeared as amicus curiae in both civil and criminal cases and worked extensively with the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.
In 2015, the Full Court of the Supreme Court designated V. Mohana as a Senior Advocate — a rare recognition for women practitioners at the apex court.
Throughout her career, she consistently advocated for greater representation of women in the legal profession and judiciary. Yet, she maintained that success in law depends not on privilege, but on “hope, hard work, consistency and dedication.”
Her courtroom composure, humility, and commitment to ethics became defining features of her practice. One of her oft-repeated beliefs has been that “there is no shortcut to success in the legal profession.”
With the Collegium now recommending her elevation to the Supreme Court, V. Mohana stands on the threshold of history once again.
Her journey — from handwritten pleadings in a small office in Coimbatore to the highest court of the country — is not just a personal achievement, but an inspiration for an entire generation of young lawyers, especially women entering the profession.
Her elevation, once approved by the Central Government, will further strengthen women’s representation in the Supreme Court and mark another milestone in the evolving story of India’s judiciary.
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