Judge Manpreet Singh has the distinction of being the first elected female Sikh on the bench in the U.S. While proud of her place in history, she is more excited about the opportunity for education that it brings.

A first-generation American, Singh was waiting for her bar results on Sept. 11, 2001. The immediate spate of hate crimes against Sikh people was shocking to her and other members of the fifth largest religion. As a result, she has been an advocate for cultural understanding and diversity, especially among legal professionals. Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the U.S.,” Singh said. “It is a big part of the fabric of America. But so many people know nothing about it. I decided to become a spokesperson to help educate people and decrease the hatred that comes from fear of the unknown.”

Singh had a passion for litigation from the beginning and chose to attend South Texas College of Law Houston for its renowned advocacy preparation. “I was able to hit the ground running,” she said. “I had three hearings the week I was sworn in. After that, I lived in the courtroom.” After a career of more than 20 years as a litigator, Singh felt becoming a judge was a natural transition for her to make.

Singh enjoys the diversity of law she regularly encounters at the county court level. In addition to the pro separticipants and attorneys that come before her court, as a bonus, there are couples of various faiths that ask her to perform their marriage ceremony. “Weddings are such a beautiful part of the job,” she said.

“I value diversity on the bench, and I value being a woman, a first generation immigrant, and from the Sikh faith as part of that diversity,” Singh said. “We bring different experiences and a different level of empathy and compassion to the proceedings.” It took her being on the other side of the bar to see how much those diverse qualities affect each person who enters the courtroom.