Never wanted to be a lawyer or judge, but now cherishes the job: Juli A Mathew
text_fields
Indian American Juli A Mathew served as an advocate for 15 years before creating history in the US judiciary by becoming the first judge of her ethnicity. However, being a lawyer or judge wasn't her dream.
When her family migrated to the US, Juli did not see her becoming anything related to the legal field. But her father faced some legal issues in his business and it planted the idea in her mind. Now, she has taken oath as a Fort Bend County Judge in Texas for the second consecutive time.
She defeated her Republican challenger Andrew Dornburg to be re-elected and serve for another four years. Juli was also voted the Administrative Judge for the County Courts and heads the first Juvenile Intervention and Mental Health Court.
She now feels it is the best job she has ever had and likes this profession the most. When she took the oath for the first time, her family was there to bless her even though they initially discouraged her from pursuing the "stressful field."
This time, she came to Kerala and took oath as judge via video conferencing because it was her wish to swear in from her husband's house. "Otherwise my in-laws could not have been able to partake in the ceremony. I am so happy that they and other family members could witness the oath-taking. It was such a beautiful memory," said Juli.
She told PTI that her husband and parents are her "pillars of support." She has three daughters and two younger girls were at the ceremony on Monday. "I do all the house chores alone including feeding my children. With the immense support of the family, I am managing both personal and professional matters without fail."