Riddhi Jad

Experience

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  Chambers of Amit Sethi

  Jul 2014 - Jul 2014

  Legal Intern

  Attended Delhi District Courts and Delhi High Court proceedings and researched property and house tax statutes. Read case files and prepared notes on the procedure law in India for civil cases – Code of Civil Procedure – and its application on the specialised rent control legislation and special tribunals set therein. Drafted written arguments to be submitted in ongoing civil matters before courts.

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  Office of the Solicitor General of India

  Jan 2015 - Jan 2015

  Legal Intern

  Shadowed the second-highest legal officer in India for a month, during which time, the office of Ld. Solicitor General made elaborate arguments before the Supreme Court of India on the constitutional validity of the provision for kidnapping under section 364A of the Indian Penal Code; police reforms under Supreme Court directives in the landmark case on Prakash Singh v. Union of India and the non-bailable aspects of Narcotics and Drugs Prevention Act. Attended court proceedings and researched extensively on diverse legal propositions and domestic provisions, their contemporaneous provisions, and judicial precedents across foreign jurisdictions in all cases. Show less

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  Centre for Civil Society

  Jul 2015 - Jul 2015

  Legal Intern

  Part of the Core Research and Drafting team which worked on and presented the '100 Laws-Phase II Report' to the Union of India in pursuance of its electoral mandate of repealing archaic, redundant and obsolete central and state legislations. Worked to identify 100 laws worthy of repeal, prepared one-page 'case' recommendations and supporting reasons for repeal for each legislation. The statutes suggested ranged from outmoded labour relations causing civil and personal interference and resulting in ineffective governance and restrictive economic practices. The Union of India repealed more than 1200 Indian laws based on the report. Show less

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  Luthra & Luthra Law Offices

  Jan 2016 - Jan 2016

  Legal Intern
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  Society for Labour and Development

  Mar 2016 - Jun 2016

  Legal Intern

  Worked on a two-phased project aimed at assessing the extent of gender discrimination in the garment sector. Researched, held stakeholder consultations, and drafted detailed questionnaires, on whose basis, I took interviews of over 500 female workers employed in garment factories in Delhi. Upon analysing the data collated – which revealed findings of wide-set pay gaps, rampant sexual harassment, the arbitrary firing of female workers, and withholding of daily wages. Subsequently, assisted in the filing of a public interest petition in Delhi High Court for ensuring compliance with labour laws by multinational clothing enterprises. Show less

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  Khaitan & Co

  Jul 2016 - Jul 2016

  Legal Intern
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  Office of Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha

  Jul 2016 - Jul 2016

  Research Assistant

  Research Assistant to Member of Indian Parliament, SP Datta, entrusted with legislative drafting of India's first bill for the regulation of working conditions and registration of regularisation of Domestic Workers. The Domestic Workers (Regulation of Work and Social Security) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Indian Parliament) in 2017.

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  Khaitan & Co

  Dec 2016 - Dec 2016

  Legal Intern
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  Chambers of Dr. Charu WaliKhanna

  Jun 2017 - Jul 2018

  Legal Intern

  Was part of the Core Research Team in the Public Interest Litigation - Charu WaliKhanna v. Union of India - filed before the Supreme Court of India. The petition sought abrogation of the discriminatory constitutional provision Article 35A. Conducted pre-litigation, stakeholder consultations to document the disparate on-ground impact of the bar on Kashmiri women to acquire immovable property, vote, and seek employment in the state. Carried out a comparative analysis of precedents on succession and property law from India and foreign jurisdictions. Drafted arguments on the fundamental right to equality of Kashmiri women before the Constitutional Bench of the Apex Court. The litigation culminated in August 2019, when the provision was repealed. Show less

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  Khaitan & Co

  Jul 2018 - Sept 2019

  Associate

  Worked in the Litigation team of the leading, full-service Indian law firm. Garnered experience in the formulation of strategy to represent the diverse and niche clientele of the firm in civil commercial cases before the Supreme Court of India, Delhi High Court, NCLAT, NCDRC and various judicial fora across India. Regularly drafted writ petitions, special leave petitions involving varied areas of law which included contract, constitutional, service, insolvency, corporate, property and media laws. Assisted in research and preparation of pleadings in domestic as well as international commercial arbitrations and briefed reputed senior counsels appearing in arbitration and court hearings. Show less

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  Global Kashmiri Pandits Diaspora

  Oct 2019 - May 2022

  Legal Advisor

  Served as legal advisor to the voluntary international humanitarian organization. Provided opinions on the property and rehabilitation rights of the internally displaced Kashmiri Pandit community. Served on the outreach committee and hosted legal panels for the ‘Kashmir Festival’, a one-month long awareness program, celebrating the contributions of the Kashmiri Pandit community in the fields of law, politics, and technology.

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  Supreme Court of India

  Oct 2019 - May 2022

  Advocate

  Ran my independent, pro bono litigation practice to advocate for the restitution of the constitutionally protected property rights and civil rights of the internally displaced Kashmiri Pandit community in India. I represented internally displaced Kashmiri Pandits, in an individual and collective capacity, before the Jammu & Kashmir High Court and the Supreme Court of India. In 2020, I drafted and filed a Public Interest Petition against largescale appropriation and illegal forfeiture of pre-conflict property of displaced Kashmiri women and sought stricter implementation of the Jammu & Kashmir Migrant Immovable Property Act. I assisted reputed senior counsels in successfully arguing an appeal before the Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court. The case resulted in the landmark decision of court-mandated monitored investigation into distress sales of immovable property of displaced Kashmiris. The judgment catapulted into widespread property reforms announced by the Lieutenant Governor of J&K in 2021. A grievance redressal portal was launched which, inter alia, has significantly aided in the time-bound reporting and disposal of cases instituted on behalf of the displaced community. I drafted a Special Leave Petition on behalf of a collective of displaced Kashmiri Pandits before the Supreme Court of India against their illegal eviction from government allotted accommodations. Show less

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  National Commission for Women - India

  Apr 2020 - Aug 2020

  Legal Counsel

  Assisted the National Commission for Women in the Regional consultation process for Northern India during the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaborated with 6 state governments to formulate policy agendas for provisioning of shelter and relief for displaced migrant women labourers.