August 4,2018:

Introduction:

Advocate Mr. Manoj Gorkela is the Deputy Advocate General for the state of Uttrakhand and the Arguing Counsel of Supreme Court of India. He is a Legal Advisor of Council of Architecture, Government of India.

He is Vice Chairman at Lawyers of the World Association.

He was the youngest Advocate appointed as the Advocate (Addl. Standing Counsel) of the Government of India, for the year 2005-11. He is even the family lawyer of the Bollywood Actress Miss Priyanka Chopra.The Interviewer, Sakshi Rewaria is 4th Year student of Amity Law School, Delhi. She is currently interning with LatestLaws.com.

Q1. Sir, tell us something about your early childhood and schooling?

Ans. I belong to district Pithoragarh, Uttrakhand, a very remote place. I completed my schooling from a Hindi medium school, then I did my law from Lucknow and I was topper of my college. And I was the first person from my college to represent my college in Bar Council of India, Moot Court Competition, Kolkata, so from here I started my career.

Q2. Are you a first generation lawyer?

Ans. Yes, being as the first generation lawyer, I worked very hard and achieved a lot which you can see through my profile. This profession is not that easy where you can achieve success easily. I became youngest standing council and now I am representing state of Uttrakhand in Supreme Court all achieved by my hard work and dedication. There is no shortcut in legal profession.

Q3. Sir, do you think that law education has changed since then? How?

Ans. Yes, now legal profession has changed because earlier people were not that educated, there were only few who were good lawyer, but now there are NLUs, other universities, and the students are becoming highly qualified, intelligent, good research work and good communication skill. So, yes things have changed since then.Q4. How was your first day at court?

Ans. Yeah, actually on my first day I was probably in my third year of law and I had argued a matter, we had filled a PIL in High Court of Lucknow that was my first matter. And after my argument I felt really proud when the Hon’ble Judge said that this council had argued well like a senior lawyer.

In our profession we have to be ready all the time, at times it is hard to explain or make our point before the court in 3 minutes. We cannot explain everything in that duration what had happened previously in the High Court or the Trial court or how the client is suffering.

Q5. Can you tell us about your 2-3 memorable cases?

Ans. Yes, one of the most memorable cases was a Mining case of Nagpur. In another case I had appeared for Ram Dev Baba and I also appeared against Mr. Harish Salve sir also which was a government case. Another is the reservation in promotion case which has now been referred to seven judge’s bench and be heard on 3rde August in the court.  Basically every case is important. Each case has its own value.

Q6. What is your success mantra?

Ans. My success mantra is Hard Work. At times I fell like 24 hours are less in a day. I always keep on reading things. Second, whenever I argue before the court I make sure I think I am the best lawyer of the world and Judges know nothing about the case, and then I start my argument stating each and every minute important thing before the court. I always take a case very seriously.

My principle is always to be Dead Honest. Our job is to fight for the justice for the client. At times we may win, or even lose the case; it is all in the hands of the Judges. And I always believe in client satisfaction.  Always listen patiently what their problem is, how they are feeling and understand it. Being a lawyer, till last breath always help a client.

Q7. What success mantra you would like to give to young professionals of this field?

Ans. Yes, I would like to state that whenever you deal with a case always go through each and every line of the documents, files etc. you must be through with each and every document. 90% of the new lawyers, they only just go through 2-3 documents, High Court Judgments etc. and will draft the matter. In my point of view this is a wrong practice. A lawyer should always feel the pain of the client. They try to take shortcut. Without hard work, you are collapsing your own life.

Every case has its own merit and stand.

Q8. Why do you follow Buddhism?

Ans. I am following Buddhism from last 15 years. Lord Buddha used to find solutions of his problems on his own, and following this principle I also find solutions to my problem on my own. No other person can feel the problem as you are feeling it. I find my solutions while meditating.

Q9. Sir, I had gone through your Youtube videos and you take stand for SC’s and ST’s. So how do you feel working for them?

Ans. Actually, I belong to a very remote place. I have seen incidents where SC and ST people were not allowed to enter certain roads, temples etc., I felt all this Is wrong. The 90% of people who are suffering from Atrocity are not filling case before the court because of certain reasons. So, yeah I am attached to these deprived sections of the society, the Adhivasis and take stand for them for their justice. I have never seen any Advocate arguing before the court for the Adhivasis.

Q10. How was your experience at UNO?

Ans. Actually I follow all those people who started their career from zero, like Mother Teresa, Dr. B.R.Ambedkar sir. I represented India at UNO, which is an excellent organization and would like to serve myself at UNO later. And after UNO there has been no World War. I got this great opportuniuty when I was 26 years to represent country at United Nations.

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