Telangana High Court Designates 22 Advocates as Senior Advocates in Full Court Meeting

The High Court for the State of Telangana has conferred the designation of Senior Advocate upon 22 legal practitioners, following a Full Court meeting held on September 16, 2026. The notification, issued under Section 16(2) of the Advocates Act, 1961, read with the Guidelines for Designation of Advocates as Senior Advocates, takes effect from the same date.

Full Court Meeting Confers Senior Gown on 22 Legal Luminaries

The designation process culminated in a Full Court meeting presided over by the Hon'ble the Chief Justice and Hon'ble Judges of the Telangana High Court. The notification states that the decision was taken in exercise of powers conferred by Section 16(2) of the Advocates Act, 1961, read with Guideline Nos.5(viii), 5(x) and 8 of the High Court's designation guidelines. The 22 advocates were selected based on their experience, standing, and contributions to the legal profession.

Notable Names in the List

Among the newly designated Senior Advocates are Mantri Rama Rao, enrolled in 1971, and A. K. Jaya Prakash Rao, enrolled in 1972, both with decades of practice. Other prominent names include M. Rajender Reddy, Yerabati Rama Rao, Manmohan Dundu, Kalpana Ekbote, A. Prabhakar Rao, Y. Ratnakar, K. Raghavacharyulu, J. V. Prasad, E. Uma Maheshwar Rao, Srinivas Velagapudi, Dr. Juttukonda Vijayalaxmi, Chetluru Srinivas, Palle Nageswar Rao, V. V. S. N. Raju, P. S. Rajasekhar, Ramesh Babu Vishwanthula @ Vishwanath, Thomas George, Chikkudu Prabhakar, P. Vishnuvardhana Reddy, and Vivek @ Vivek Jain. The list reflects a mix of senior practitioners from diverse areas of law.

Legal Framework for Designation

Section 16(2) of the Advocates Act, 1961 empowers High Courts to designate advocates as Senior Advocates if, in the opinion of the Court, they are deserving of such distinction by virtue of their ability, standing at the Bar, or special knowledge or experience in law. The Telangana High Court's guidelines require a Full Court meeting to consider nominations and assess eligibility. The September 16 meeting resulted in the unanimous selection of the 22 advocates.

Implications and Effective Date

The designation takes effect from September 16, 2026. As Senior Advocates, these legal professionals will now be entitled to wear the distinctive senior gown and will be subject to the rules and privileges associated with the rank, including restrictions on accepting certain types of briefs. The High Court has directed that the notification be published in the Telangana Gazette and circulated to all relevant authorities, including the Bar Council of India and all High Courts across the country.

The announcement marks a significant milestone for the Telangana legal community, recognizing the dedication and expertise of its senior members.