Manisha P. Patel, Esq.

I attribute my success to the passion I have for what I do and the deep-rooted value of service that was instilled in me by my family. Growing up as a first-generation American with parents who emigrated from India, serving our community and profession was a lasting value they gave to my siblings and me. From a very young age, I knew I wanted to help people, and I've dedicated my life to that goal. Everything I've done, from volunteering at the YMCA and science museum in middle school, to being involved in student government at Virginia Tech, to my extensive pro bono work today, has been driven by this commitment to service. It's not just about running a business - work is not my life, but helping people through difficult times and serving the legal profession through leadership roles gives me purpose and keeps me grounded, even on the most challenging days.

The best career advice I ever received came from a law professor and then from one of my mentors who passed away last November. She would hold one-on-one meetings with me at coffee shops, and she told me from the beginning that the practice of law is a marathon, not a sprint. I think she used that analogy because I used to run half marathons regularly, and it made so much sense to me. I often feel like I'm running on all cylinders, but once my cup is empty, I can't keep running. That advice helped me re-evaluate how I want to help people and serve the profession - what is the best way I can do that sustainably? I think about this often, especially on those days where I might be representing five different court-appointed clients in court for three hours or drafting contracts at the office until 8 p.m. It keeps me grounded and reminds me that I want to sustain this work, and I can't go, go, go all the time.

I would say use your voice. Your voice is there for a reason, and as women, as a woman of color who did not see people who looked like me in this profession, your voice is unique, your perspective and your experience is unique. Don't be afraid to speak up. We all have gotten the 'oh, you're a lawyer, I thought you were the secretary' comments, and it does not have to keep becoming that or be that forever. It's hard, and it's uncomfortable, but it's important to use your voice and your perspective and your experience. I try very hard to mentor students - my alma mater is a block and a half away from my office, so I mentor a lot of students - and this is what I tell them. Your unique perspective matters in this profession.

I think there are a lot of challenges that come from politics and attacks on the legal profession - and I'm not even going to go nationally, I'll just go statewide. As lawyers, we have a duty to protect our profession, and I think how we protect our profession is, one, by the work that we do, and two, by using our voice. The work we do is to show the non-legal profession that ultimately our job is to help people and to protect their rights, legal entitlements, and obligations. I think that's what a big part of the legal profession is, but it's become way too politicized, and that focus and duty of lawyers has become so blurred by the non-legal profession. That's one of our duties and struggles right now - to make sure people understand this is our job, to protect the law, to protect people, and protect their rights. That's what we do this for. When you get an overriding narrative, it's hard to combat that.

Service to others is the most important value in both my work and personal life. This was instilled in me by my parents, who emigrated from India in the mid-1970s, and it's been a lasting value throughout my life. From middle school volunteering at the YMCA, science museum, and public library, to my involvement in Interact Club in high school and student government at Virginia Tech, to my extensive pro bono and court-appointed work today, serving my community and profession has been central to who I am. I believe everyone deserves top quality representation regardless of whether they can pay a full hourly rate. Beyond serving clients, I'm passionate about serving the legal profession through leadership in bar organizations and mentoring the next generation of lawyers. Taking care of myself physically has also become important, especially after going through health struggles including an autoimmune disease and cancer diagnosis - my regular workouts keep me grounded so I can continue serving others sustainably.