New Delhi: The Supreme Court collegium has recommended five names to the Union government for appointment as Supreme Court judges. Among them is senior advocate Mohana, who hails from Coimbatore.
If her appointment is accepted, Mohana would earn the distinction of becoming the second woman from Tamil Nadu to serve as a Supreme Court judge, after Justice R. Banumathi.
Mohana comes from a family without a legal background. She studied in the first batch of the integrated five-year law programme at the Coimbatore Law College, graduating in 1988, and pursued her studies while staying in a hostel with limited facilities.
She began her legal training in Coimbatore under advocate Panchapakesan, learning key courtroom skills such as drafting case notes and planning arguments. After graduation, she worked long hours and later moved to Delhi in 1992 to continue her practice.
In Delhi, she trained under senior advocate Indu Malhotra and later worked with several leading lawyers. After clearing the Advocate-on-Record examination in 1996, she began appearing before the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and other tribunals. She has also been involved in government matters across constitutional law, corruption, narcotics, criminal, service and civil issues, and has provided legal aid, including pro bono work. In 2015, she was designated as a senior advocate by the Supreme Court, a recognition considered rare for women in the profession.
