Member Spotlight: Manisha P. Patel
This driven young attorney joined the NCBA Family Law Section as a law student. She already knew family law was her calling and she was determined to learn as much as she could as quickly as possible.
“I was a sponge in law school, and my connection to my practice section remains an ongoing source of inspiration,” says Manisha.
At the same time, Manisha does her own share of inspiring others. As a first-generation East Indian American, she describes herself as a “black sheep” of the family, as she opted for law school over the medical field. Admittedly, her parents now recognize Manisha’s path has been the perfect one for her – combining her undergrad and law school training with a burning desire to give back.
Helping others is Manisha’s passion, and she credits her Mom with setting her on this course. She describes how she and her siblings spent their summers doing volunteer work, and not surprisingly she has found her way to working as a volunteer with the North Carolina Bar Foundation’s 4ALL Service Day. She has also served as the Pro Bono Chair for the NCBA Family Law Section, Vice-Chair of the NCBA Women in the Profession Committee, is slated to serve as President-Elect of the Greensboro Bar Association in the 2023-2024 Bar year, currently on the Board of Directors for Legal Aid of NC, representing the NC Association of Women’s Attorneys, and serving on the NC State Bar Council.
“If I could be a full-time volunteer, and find a way to pay my bills, that is what I would be doing,” jokes Manisha. But in the meantime, her spirit of giving is alive and well in her family law practice, where she is committed to being a voice for young children as a volunteer guardian ad litem. She speaks of the collaborative experience she seeks to create with clients and recognizes the gravity of dealing with relationships and human emotions at a time when people are most vulnerable.
Manisha made the jump to solo practice nearly five years ago. The same way she found the Family Law section a place to learn, ask questions and hone her craft, the Small Firm & Technology Section has proven equally helpful. “While I love being my own boss and running a business,” comments Manisha, “running a business and practicing law are two completely different things.” She credits fellow section members with supporting her in her business venture and she is grateful for the ideas and sharing that is so much a part of her affiliation with the group.
Further, she goes on to share that NCBA has given her a home in the profession.
“Here I have met some of the best people I’ll ever meet in my life, especially from the 2017 Leadership Academy class. I learned a lot about myself, and I have learned what it means to be a good leader.”
And there is so much evidence that this young star’s leadership qualities are on the rise. In 2019, she gave the commencement address at her alma mater, Virginia Tech, which she says was an experience not likely to be topped, and focused her speech on the university motto, That I May Serve. In 2021, she was elected NC State Bar Councilor for the 24th Judicial District, a position that Manisha is honored to hold. As one of the youngest and only female South Asian member, Manisha is quick to assert that while she doesn’t feel like a token minority, she is aware of the impact she can have in influencing other women who look like her to pursue their dreams.
When asked what she will do next, Manisha jokes and points to her favorite coffee cup and a slogan that reads, “Building my Empire.” While she runs her solo law firm and became a NC DRC Certified Family Financial Mediator in 2022, empire building at first seems incongruous with what has driven Manisha to date. She goes on to explain, “I want to shift my practice focus to less litigation and on alternative dispute resolution methods, so I can spend time serving the legal profession, rainmaking, and building my firm in a way so I can volunteer more of the time.” The comment now makes perfect sense!