Anusha Nadkarni

My name is Anusha Nadkarni. I am a rising undergraduate sophomore at Stanford University majoring in public policy with a concentration in development and education policy. I am also a minor candidate in human rights and global studies (South Asian studies). This summer, I interned at Lex Firmus in Mumbai, India. 

Thank you for your support! The ability to complete this internship was life-changing. I spent four hours in a day driving through Mumbai traffic, and eight hours walking in the boiling heat and intense monsoon of the Mumbai summer, five days a week. And honestly, I loved it. I studied eviction law, constitutional law, family law, and criminal law, torts, and corporate law. I analyzed Indian legal structures, from schooling to work norms to the Supreme Court, and watched as the BNS and BNSS came out to replace British-era criminal codes. My afternoons were spent sipping chai with clients and hearing their stories in the context of a larger legal case, and watching advocates fight for clients day in and day out. Surrounded by at least English, Marathi, and Hindi daily, and five other languages depending on the client, I realized how much we have to learn from the increasingly blended Indian citizenry. I watched my niece become fluent in five languages by the age of 6, saw people of all income levels and backgrounds find accessible representation, and watched court proceedings be dictated based on someone's religious beliefs. These examples of culturally sustaining practices, juxtaposed against the enduring existence of oppressive structures like caste and gender injustice, inform my desire for involvement in a field of study applying democratic best practices to postcolonial countries while valuing grassroots, community-based ideals in Western nations which have institutionalized individualistic values. Now, I am passionate about U.S.-India relations, democratic development, and transitional justice, especially in South Asia/India. I want to infuse the best of the U.S. and India into international human rights work and enter field and policy work related to both (for which I am now formally learning the Devanagari script!). 

Thank you so much again. I am endlessly grateful for your support, and I am forever transformed as an outcome of your generosity. I hope we get a chance to meet face-to-face someday, so I can tell you more!