Jaya Badiga First Telugu Woman to Become Judge in California, US

Jaya Badiga, a Telugu woman born in Vijayawada but raised and studied in Hyderabad, did her graduation in political science from Osmania University and left for US after marriage. There, she worked in a charity organisation but later passed California Bar Exam and excelled as a family law specialist. Jaya Badiga, who became the first Telugu judge in California, US, shared her journey with ETV Bharat. Read on.

Hyderabad : It is common for Telugu girls go abroad to study and get settled in professional jobs! In a departure from this, Jaya Badiga changed her initial profession, studied law after becoming a mother and went on to become a judge in US. Jaya Badiga has been appointed as a judge of the Sacramento Superior Court in California, thereby becoming the first Telugu woman to receive this honor. Here, she shared her journey with 'ETV Bharat'.

About My Childhood: ''I was born in Vijayawada but raised in Hyderabad. My father Ramakrishna was an industrialist and former MP. My mother Prema Latha is a housewife. I am the third girl among four children. I had studied at St Ann's, Secunderabad. Being a missionary school, they made us do social service also. I learned something from my father. It is a habit to think about the society from childhood. Mom wanted me to study law. But Dad doesn't want me to be sent out. So I did a degree in Political Science from Osmania.''

And how to get into this profession:''I came into this profession accidentally. After completing my master's in International Relations and Mass Communications from Boston University, I worked for a few years in a charity organization called 'WEVE' (Women Escaping a Violent Environment). There the problems of women were deeply understood. Especially women who come from our country do not have much knowledge about the courts and laws here. There are also many problems for local women. Like Sexual assaults on children. After hearing all this, I thought, 'Why don't I study law?' So I enrolled in a law degree at Santa Clara University.''

Bar Exam: ''My hubby Praveen was a hardware engineer at Intel at that time. A baby was born while doing law. I found it difficult to prepare for the California Bar Exam with her. That's why I left her with my mother in India and took the exam. The baby was brought immediately after the exam. And on the results day... One should see me on that day, I was so tense. Sitting with the baby on my lap, opening the laptop, and thinking 'God, God, God'. When I saw my name in the Bar Council register, I felt relaxed. With the support of the family, I was able to excel as a family law specialist in California. I Practiced independently from 2018 to 2022. Then worked as an attorney at the California Department of Health Care Services, Governor's Office of Emergency Services. Since 2022, I have been working as a superior court commissioner.''

Challenges in professional life:''Like everywhere there are many challenges including gender discrimination. In my early days as a lawyer, I was teased for my lack of an American accent. Regardless of that... I proved myself in court. Common people cannot afford court expenses. Moreover, children are crushed in divorce cases. That's why I used to do family counseling as much as possible. I want justice for these people.''

Raising children:''Working and taking care of children is a big task. In the beginning, my mother and grandmother gave support. Now that the children are grown up, they can do it on their own. But our people are not aware of the child laws here and they face difficulties. In one incident, in a family I know, there is some celebration... They were drinking tea at midnight. This tea accidentally spilled on the hand of the baby next to her. She was taken to the hospital after a day. There staff asked 'why didn't the children sleep until that night, why did they come near the stove? There was a big discussion and a case was filed. Even in school, even if there is any difference in the behavior of the children, they keep an eye on the parents.''

Never forget our culture?''Wherever we are, we should not forget our roots. That is why Varalakshmi Vratam is also performed along with celebrating festivals. Once I engaged in a ritual and forgot to attend the case. As soon as the phone call came, I immediately went and attended the hearing. As a mother, I teach our children our customs and also take care of all their needs. At any level, real happiness is found in family life!''

Rigorous process of selecting a judge:''Very difficult! I applied in 2021, now the results are out. It takes two to three months to complete the application only. We have to start with our hobbies and write about our school and college days. What kind of cases have you dealt with as a lawyer? At least 75 people in my life should be mentioned. Our life feels like an open book when the application is completed. All those details are checked and sent to the judicial committee, which will nominate. Later another team will do the scrutiny. In addition to the 75 people we mentioned, a total of 250 people will be questioned. After that the interview. If any one of them says something negative... They will ask about it in the interview. After they are convinced, the name is sent to the governor. If there is a vacancy, then another interview.''

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