“Just another woman who is crazy enough to think that she can change the world.”
I knew I wanted to be a lawyer at 13. In my head, the path was clear. A good law school -> A-tier law firm -> Enjoy the lifestyle -> Make partner. In 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, I left my law firm, packed my bags and moved to Bombay. I transitioned from corporate legal practice to the world of research and policy.
It was a space that demanded a lot of unlearning, and comfort with the unfamiliar – a journey I embraced with curiosity, zeal, and the discipline of a lawyer trained to thrive on the arduous.
Today, my research focuses on –
- Reducing the frictions when government enters into contracts for procuring goods and services for the public.
- Improving the way courts and the legal system work as service-delivery systems for litigants/ citizens.
More recently, I’ve found my way back to my favourite law school subject, constitutional law, by exploring its less studied counterpart, administrative law. My current work focuses on Indian regulators and how they fuse the powers of the state, blurring the traditional boundaries defined by the doctrine of separation of powers.
When I’m not in front of my laptop, I’m lifting barbells or shooting a ball through a hoop.
Sometimes, I record conversations with cool people (with their consent, of course) and post them on YouTube.
Pavithra Manivannan 