Out of more than 200,000 attorneys throughout the state, [1] California Lawyer magazine awarded its inaugural Angel Award to 16, most of whom are partners. The award honors “those idealistic attorneys who have made substantial pro bono contributions.” Hitesh S. Barot, one of only two associates receiving the award, was honored for his pro bono work in securing a settlement in a case brought under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act for an Indian woman who was brought to the Los Angeles area, forced to work long hours, effectively imprisoned in the house, and sexually assaulted by an acquaintance of her employer. She escaped with the help of the [2] South Asian Network and since 2004 a team of lawyers had been working on the case together with the ACLU.

Barot initially began working on the case in October 2005 because he was able to translate Hindi. He soon took over the matter, gaining the trust of the plaintiff, who had been suffering from post-traumatic stress. A graduate of UC Berkeley’s engineering and law schools who is active in local and national South Asian bar associations, Barot told India Journal, “I was surprised and humbled to be recognized along with veteran luminaries in the pro bono space…This case resonated with me because I have known others in our Indian community who have been mis-treated the same way and so it was particularly important for me to give my client a voice and empower her to strike back at those who wronged her.”

More:
[3] Domestic Workers’ Resources
[4] Andolan