Kudrat Dutta Chaudhary, a young lawyer who hails from Chandigarh, has been appointed the Commissioner of Immigrants Rights at San Francisco. She is the first South Asian to get this position.Kudrat will deal with asylum seekers seeking asylum on the basis of gender-based violence or persecution they have suffered in their home countries.As a Commissioner, her job would be to advice the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors on immigrant issues in the city and county of SF.

The process of becoming a Commissioners requires an application, shortlisting of candidates and then the nominated candidates are given an opportunity to present their candidature to the Rules Committee. The Rules committee then makes final candidature recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and they then vote on it.

Chaudhary earned a unanimous vote from the Board of Supervisors for her position.After graduating from the Army Institute of Law, Kudrat Dutta Chaudhary studied at the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy and graduated with an LL.M in International Laws.

While in graduate school, Chaudhary focussed on Gender Analysis in International law and went on to work as a Gender Rights Specialist at the Law Office of Robert B. Jobe in August 2019.

In San Francisco, she has been very active in advocacy. She heads the women’s march San Francisco and is the first South Asian Commissioner on the Immigrant Rights Commission for the city and county of San Francisco.

The Indian Express spoke to Kudrat about her early years in Chandigarh and her motivation for pursuing law.

The Chandigarh connect

I did my primary schooling at Sacred Heart and high school from Vivek. Subsequently, I joined the law programme at the Army Institute of Law. Following my graduation in law, I pursued LL.M from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.

What made you take up Law?

I am a very justice oriented person and believe that law is a strong agent to bring societal change. Hence, it wasn’t a tough choice.

What do you like the most about Chandigarh?

As an expat, I believe I have the privilege of only remembering and rejoicing in the best things about Chandigarh and hence I love how green it is, its culture, how small it is (which is also why I love San Francisco) and all the memories that I built in the city.

What do you dislike about Chandigarh?

If I have to choose one thing I dislike, I’d probably say how small Chandigarh is. That is because knowing everyone can sometimes lead to less opportunities for privacy and making choices that one wants to make personally as opposed to what is expected.

Secret of your success

There is no secret per se. I continue to work towards becoming the best version of myself with the understanding that my life’s purpose is to advocate for those who can’t do it for themselves. Lots of water, good sleep and walks with my dog. (Indian Express)