Sr. Sheela Honoured with ‘Young Achiever’ Award for Legal Excellence

Indore, Dec 13, 2025: Pursuing justice as both a calling and a profession, Sr. Sheela SSpS, a member of the Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS), India Central Province, was honoured as a Young Achiever in the Legal Field on December 12, at a special ceremony organised by the Vidhik Jagruti Forum. The award ceremony, held at the Abhinav Kala Samaj Auditorium, Indore, recognised her outstanding contributions to legal advocacy and social justice, particularly her sustained work among the poor and marginalised through litigation.

Speaking to Catholic Connect, Sr. Sheela, originally from Tamil Nadu, described the recognition as a source of encouragement in a profession marked by constant challenges. “I feel encouraged because it is recognition coming from the legal forum itself,” she said. “The legal field is very difficult, especially when you are a first-generation advocate. There are many challenges in the beginning. When civil society acknowledges your efforts, it gives you motivation to continue and do more.” She noted that while seniors do offer guidance, legal practice demands deep personal commitment—particularly when one chooses service over personal gain.

A Practice Shaped by Justice

With five years of dedicated legal practice, Sr. Sheela has built a reputation for sharp legal acumen, meticulous preparation, and unwavering commitment to justice. She has handled hundreds of cases spanning criminal law, civil disputes, service matters, land litigation, and family-related conflicts, with her submissions often resulting in favourable, well-reasoned, and precedent-supporting orders.

In the past year alone, she handled 188 cases involving tribal communities and women, with 51 cases successfully disposed of and 44 individuals granted bail, while the remaining cases continue to receive her focused legal attention. A significant portion of her work centres on fundamental rights litigation, advocating for the poor, marginalised, and those denied access to legal remedies. Notably, she has taken up numerous cases pro bono, refusing to accept even a single rupee from vulnerable clients.

Her advocacy for women in slum and tribal communities, and her sustained work to advance the rights and welfare of domestic workers in Indore, has earned her wide respect.

"God Fights for Me"

Reflecting on the intersection of faith and legal practice, Sr. Sheela acknowledged the moral challenges she encounters. “When you handle cases involving rape, murder, or encounter corruption within the legal system and police stations, your faith is constantly challenged,” she said. “Our faith teaches us values that often stand in contrast to what we see around us.”

She spoke candidly about delays, lack of relief in deserving cases, and the influence of money and power. “There is always a tussle,” she said. “But I try not to let my profession affect my faith. I carry my faith along with my work. Even when I feel disappointed, I know God fights for me.”

Formation and Legal Journey

Originally from Tiruchirappalli (Trichy), Tamil Nadu, Sr. Sheela has been serving in Madhya Pradesh since 2010, the year of her first profession as a religious sister. She made her final profession in 2017.

As part of her formation, she pursued higher education at Jesus and Mary College, Delhi, where she continued her academic and spiritual formation and later professed her final vows. Apart from this period, along with a year of training in the Northeast, her ministry has largely remained rooted in central India.

Recognising the transformative power of law, she went on to obtain her LLB from Government Law College, DAVV University, Indore, followed by an LLM in Criminal Law from Prestige University, Indore. Her legal journey formally began in 2018, during which she regularly attended court proceedings with senior advocates to gain practical exposure. She obtained her licence in 2021 and has been practising law full-time since then.

Identifying the Need of the Time

Sr. Sheela credited her congregation for making her legal ministry possible. Recognising the growing need for legal intervention, the congregation discerned law as a vital mission area and encouraged her to pursue it.

“They identified that this is the need of the time,” she said. “They gave me permission to study law, supported my education, and relieved me of other responsibilities so that I could give myself fully to this ministry.”

“Their confidence, encouragement, and support keep me going,” she said. “I only hope I can fulfil the expectations placed on me by serving people through litigation and helping them access justice.”

Being the first lawyer in her province, her entry into law, she emphasised, was not driven by personal ambition but by discerned need. While sisters already served in education, healthcare, social work, media, and counselling, legal advocacy emerged as a missing yet essential stream.

“Litigation affects every other field,” she noted. “People are struggling to get justice. We realised the need for someone to support them legally.”

Her presence in Madhya Pradesh is part of her missionary appointment, as the India Central Province serves across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, and Punjab.

Her journey from a small village in Tamil Nadu to the demanding corridors of the courts in central India stands as a testament to how faith, determination, and resilience can work together in unwavering service of justice and the voiceless.

By Catholic Connect Reporter