Surendran K Pattel: From laborer in Kerala to US judge
INDIAN-ORIGIN Surendran K Pattel, an attorney in Texas, has had an inspiring journey-from growing up in poverty in Kerala to becoming a judge in the US.
On January 1, the 51-year-old was sworn in as the judge of 240th Judicial District Court, located in Texas’ Fort Bend County, according to reports.
It was a big achievement for Pattel, who was born to daily wagers in Kerala’s Kasaragod and worked through school and college to assist them.
While in his teens, he and his sister rolled beedis, thin tobacco flake-filled cigarettes, to earn money.
Pattel decided not to continue his education after class 10 and started working full-time rolling beedis. But that tough period changed his view and he decided to resume studying after a year-long break.
He enrolled himself at the college but still had to continue working. His attendance suffered and professors refused to let him sit for exams.
But by this time, Pattel was aspiring to be a lawyer and pleaded with his teachers to give him a chance. Later, he graduated from college as a topper.
Next, Pattel wanted to pursue a degree in law but finances were a problem. He said in his first year, his friends helped him. After that, he took up a housekeeping job at a hotel.
Pattel received his law degree in 1995. He began practicing in Kerala in 1996 and gradually became a well-known lawyer. Nearly a decade later, he was practicing in the Supreme Court.
The year 2007 presented his family an opportunity to the move to the US. His wife, a nurse, had been chosen to work at a prominent American medical facility.
The couple sought and received permanent residency and moved to Houston, Texas with their little daughter and a second baby on the way.
Two years after moving to the US, Pattel sat for the Texas bar exam. He cleared it in his first attempt.