NEEM Magazine

It is not every day one meets a person who has found her purpose. When one does meet such an individual, that person remains memorable. Such is the case of Sunu Chandy. I met her in 2005, working as a Summer Associate at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), where she was and is a Senior Trial Attorney. What struck me as so memorable about Sunu was that she truly encompassed her passion for social justice with her advocacy skills as a litigator. In a space where the legal profession is often driven by white-shoe lawyers working for BigLaw, Sunu in her comfortable shoes clearly stood out from the crowd.

I recently caught up with Sunu to learn what it takes to succeed as a public interest lawyer. Leaning back in her chair in her window-side office, Sunu quipped, “Success is learning to be at peace with yourself.” Having navigated the field of law both as an associate at a union-side labor law firm, and now litigating employment discrimination claims on behalf of the federal agency, Sunu asserts that it is important for students and attorneys alike to have integrity behind their career decisions. Often times, straddled with spiraling law school debt and family expectations, a young attorney may be captivated by six-figure offers from corporate law firms. Equally daunting, an idealist law student enters law school in hopes of using his degree to implement social change, only to find that the non-profit sector barely pays the bills. Whatever choice one makes, Sunu reminds me, it is a decision based on lifestyle. No regrets.

Being of South Indian heritage, I also questioned how her ethnic identity shaped her worldview and choices she made in her legal career. For starters, she noted her parents recognized and nurtured her passion for social justice issues. However, in true South Asian fashion, her father encouraged her to pursue a career by which she could not only work to create change in society, but also she could also “pay the bills.” It was her father’s gentle nudging that led her to pursue law school in the first place. Law school fueled the passion to change the status quo.

Now as Senior Trial Attorney for the EEOC, Sunu has the ability to go further in exploring her ethnic identity. Employment discrimination affects the South Asian community significantly though is rarely brought forth. Sunu is most proud of a case involving a sexual harassment claim brought by a young Pakistani woman against a named harasser and owner from India from the same community (US Dream & Dollar Stores). She notes, “Through this settlement, EEOC obtained policy changes and training throughout forty stores owned by individuals from the same community. Several newspapers in the South Asian press covered this case highlighting EEOC’s commitment to South Asians and informing them of their rights.” Sunu was also at the forefront of cutting-edge issues after 9/11, including litigating Plaza Hotel that resulted in a $525,000 settlement on behalf of twelve South Asian and Arab men who suffered post-9/11 backlash discrimination, after being called “Obama” and “Bin Laden” on a regular basis.

Sunu effortlessly weaves her South Asian roots and passion for civil rights activism into her work ethic. One of the ways she finds work/life balance is taking time to mentor a young child through the Hour Children Program, an organization that provides a wide array of supportive services that transform the lives of women and their families involved in the criminal justice system. Sunu is also actively cultivating her social justice poetry talent by writing in anthologies and performing at poetry events. She will take her skills one step further this year, when she pursues her MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) Degree in Creative Writing/Poetry in Fall 2010.

As a jasmine plant silently grows behind Sunu’s desk, I am reminded that it is possible to find professional success without forgetting one’s passions and roots. One of the keys to this kind of balance, in Sunu’s words, is to start by being at peace with oneself.

– Roli Khare is a government attorney practicing family law in New York City. She can be reached at rolikhare@gmail.com.