Nisha’s fight for justice began with her childhood in apartheid South Africa, where her parents and grandparents fought against the regime of racial segregation that tore their country apart. Her family immigrated to Los Angeles in 1992, the same year as protests against the killing of Rodney King exposed deep racial injustices in the U.S. Nisha’s background made her care deeply about ongoing social injustice and inspired her to pursue a career in public service.
While at UCLA law school, she learned about the Solicitor’s Honors Program at the Department of Labor and believed it was a perfect fit given her interests in workers’ rights and public service. As an Honors Attorney, Nisha was selected to work as trial attorney in the Western Region of the Solicitor’s Office, where Nisha placed permanently after completing the Honor’s Program. As a Solicitor’s Office Regional trial attorney, Nisha has gained significant complex litigation skills and expertise in the wide variety of worker’s rights laws that the Department of Labor enforces. She has litigated in federal district courts and a variety of federal administrative courts across the western United States. She has built a strong network of relationships with Department of Labor attorneys and investigators across the country, while fighting for the rights of America’s workers.
Nisha’s most memorable Honors Program case was her first trial, which took place at the beginning of her second year. The case involved a worker who was injured when a tool exploded in their face. The court affirmed OSHA’s citation against the employer, who did not adequately educate or supervise workers on how to use the equipment properly. This case helped Nisha understand that her work enforcing statutes such as OSHA can impact an entire industry and lead to the prevention of hazards for workers everywhere.
As a queer immigrant of color, Nisha feels a deep sense of solidarity with marginalized communities and pride in her ability to represent the United States as a trial attorney fighting for the rights of America’s workers. Nisha continues to fight for economic justice and worker protections in the Los Angeles SOL Regional Office.