What it’s really like being a woman in litigation

By Adv Heena Verma

Litigation is not just a profession it’s a test of patience, resilience and presence of mind. It’s not what you see in movies, no dramatic monologues every day, no instant justice. Most days, it’s waiting. Waiting for your matter to be called, waiting for the judge to assemble, waiting for the other side, and sometimes… just waiting for things to move at all.

And as a woman in this space, you are not just learning the law you are also learning how to be taken seriously.

When I started out, one thing became clear very quickly, people don’t always expect a woman to be the arguing counsel. There have been moments when the clients assumed I was the junior, or someone assisting, even when I was the one handling the matter. Sometimes they look past you and start explaining things to a male colleague standing next to you. It’s subtle, sometimes almost unintentional but it’s there.

In court, too, you learn early on that you have to claim your space. No one really hands it to you. You have to speak up, sometimes a little louder than you are naturally comfortable with. You have to interrupt politely, but firmly. You have to make sure your matter isn’t overlooked. It’s not about aggression it’s about not fading into the background.

But here is the thing, litigation teaches you confidence in a very real, almost forced way. You can’t hide behind preparation alone. Even if you have read everything, made perfect notes and anticipated every argument, the courtroom can still surprise you. Judges ask unexpected questions, the other side throws in new points or your matter comes up when you least expect it. Over time, you stop chasing perfection and start trusting your instinct.

A part of my journey has also been shaped by my work with Dhwani Legal Trust and honestly, that’s where the law has felt the most real to me. Working at Dhwani is very different from regular litigation. It’s not about complex strategies or courtroom performance; it’s about making the law understandable and accessible to people who often have no idea where to even begin.

A lot of the work is basic, but important explaining rights, breaking down legal processes, and sometimes just telling someone that what they are going through is not “normal” or something they have to accept. You meet people who have been sitting on issues for years simply because they didn’t know they had a remedy. And that hits differently.

It also forces you to slow down. You can’t speak in legal language, you can’t rush through explanations you have to meet people where they are. There are moments where you realise that awareness itself is half the battle. Not every matter turns into a case, not every issue reaches a courtroom but even helping someone understand their position or take a first step, feels meaningful in a very direct way.

It’s not always neat or structured, and it’s definitely not glamorous. But it keeps you grounded. It reminds you that the law is not just something we argue in court it’s something people rely on, often as a last resort, when everything else has failed.

There are also days when things don’t go your way. You lose a matter, or you feel you could have argued better or the court just doesn’t agree with you. Those days hit hard. And no one really prepares you for that part, the self-doubt that creeps in quietly. But you show up again the next day. That’s the only way this profession works.

One thing I have come to value is the human side of this job. Clients don’t come to you on their best days; they come with problems, stress and often a lot of emotion. As a woman, I think it becomes easier to connect, to listen without rushing, to understand what they are not saying out loud. And that, honestly, helps more than any textbook ever can.

Balancing life outside court is another story. Court timings are unpredictable, work doesn’t end when you leave and there is always something pending- drafting, research, calls. It is exhausting at times. But somewhere in between, you learn to adjust, to prioritise and to keep going.

Despite everything, the bias, the long hours, the unpredictability there is something incredibly satisfying about litigation. The moment you stand up and argue your matter, the moment the court listens, the moment you get an order in your favour it makes all the chaos worth it.

Being a woman in litigation isn’t about proving you are equal anymore. It’s about quietly knowing you belong here and showing it, every single day.