Posted by ‘As a person, it is essential to have a goal.’ An interview with Hon’ble Justice Ms. Anju Upreti Dhakal By Mr. Suyogya Awasthy, CFO @ LawOF
Suyogya Awasthy from LawOF: Ma’am, as being a judge at Nepal High Court how would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hon’ble Justice Ms. Anju Upreti Dhakal: I am Judge Anju Upreti Dhakal, a recently appointed (in April) judge of High Court Nepal. I started my law career as a paralegal, working in my father’s law firm and then went on to become an advocate. As an advocate, I mainly specialized in the field of Intellectual Property Law. Prior to being appointed a judge in the High Court, I had been working in the field of intellectual property law for 24 years.
Suyogya Awasthy from LawOF: What inspired you to join law, were you able to satisfy your self-inspiration.
Hon’ble Justice Ms. Anju Upreti Dhakal: I come from a legal family background. I was deeply inspired by my father, who was a pioneer advocate and then an inspirational Judge of the Supreme Court of Nepal. Over the years, I saw my father’s active involvement in the legal field and his contribution towards the betterment of the legal profession. I was very proud of my father’s work and this has immensely channeled my career roadmap. Seeing my father and his proud achievements, I also developed an interest in the same field and wanted to follow his foot-steps.
Yes, I believe I was able to satisfy my self-inspiration.
Suyogya Awasthy from LawOF: How was your law school journey?
Hon’ble Justice Ms. Anju Upreti Dhakal:I thoroughly enjoyed my law school journey. I had already started working in my father’s law firm as a paralegal during my law school days so I was privileged to have had the opportunity to both learn at school and then apply these learned principles of law at work. During law school days, we used to indulge ourselves in discussions on contemporary burning issues, especially women’s rights. I also used to participate in different types of voluntary work, so law school went by fleetingly.
Suyogya Awasthy from LawOF: What would you suggest for the students who are new to the law profession and those who are graduating?
Hon’ble Justice Anju Ms. Upreti Dhakal:To the individuals who are new to law profession, I would advise them to embrace patience. Legal profession is a life-long learning process so you need to be patient and you should always be eager to learn more. Hard work and patience is very important if you want to do well in your profession.
To the students who are graduating, I would recommend them to choose the stream that interests you and wherein your passion lies. Without interest and passion, you will not be able to enjoy what you do.
Suyogya Awasthy from LawOF: How do you measure the success of any person in their career?
Hon’ble Justice Ms. Anju Upreti Dhakal: Personally I believe that success should not be measured on the basis of how much you have earned money or how popular you have become. It should not be about the rat race. Success should be measured on the basis of how over the years you have been able to overcome the hurdles in your professional life and contribute towards your personal growth and the society.
Suyogya Awasthy from LawOF: What according to you should be the prime concern for law students?
Hon’ble Justice Ms. Anju Upreti Dhakal: In my opinion, the prime concern of law students should be about how to actively participate in the extra-curricular academic activities and balancing it with the courses taught. It is important for law students to participate in moot court competitions, debates, etc. as well as balance it with the course taken. It is mostly important to garner public speaking practices and to gain knowledge on the way.
Suyogya Awasthy from LawOF: Please share the golden rules of your life, which brought you here so that the students can gain from the useful insight and can be inspired by you.
Hon’ble Justice Ms. Anju Upreti Dhakal: As a person, it is essential to have a goal. One should work towards achieving that goal, however, following the right path.
Suyogya Awasthy from LawOF: Any suggestions or comments for the students?
Hon’ble Justice Ms. Anju Upreti Dhakal: As mentioned earlier, choose the career path that interests you.
Suyogya Awasthy from LawOF: Your views on LawOF and token of Love and message to our readers?
Hon’ble Justice Ms. Anju Upreti Dhakal: Primarily, I would like to thank Mr. Suyogya Awasthy for providing me an opportunity to connect with young law students and law professionals through LawOF organization. It was an honor. I wish you the best in the future. Keep inspiring and shaping the law community.
“To the readers, I express my gratitude for taking an interest. Best wishes for the future.”
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