We sat down with the founders of Norton Basu to discuss their entry into the practice of law and how they’ve persevered to build a strong practice with offices in northern and southern California.
AALM: What initially drew you to the practice of law?
SB: I’ve always been motivated by a need to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. America has one of the few legal systems where an individual can fight for their rights and win, despite the odds. Practicing as an attorney in California really helps me to help people with their day-to-day lives.
AALM: Tell us about your entry into law school and a legal career?
ZN: Like Somita, I’m the first in the family to attend law school. The practice and study of law has so many eccentricities that you never could have imagined before attending law school and practicing as a lawyer. I discovered all these eccentricities on my own, with almost no one to guide me. It’s been a tremendous learning and growth experience.
AALM: Tell us about your decision to focus on estate planning and probate.
SB: It was really Zakiya’s idea to get into estate planning and probate. When we met, I was considering going into family law. Zakiya convinced me that estate planning and probate was the best area for us. That turned out to be an excellent decision. Zakiya handles the estate planning side, which requires creativity and the ability to explain implications of estate planning decisions to clients with compassion. I handle the probate and trust administration side of things, which is more process driven.
AALM: Walk us through the decision to start your firm.
ZN: We met in 2013 volunteering for a legal aid organization in San Jose. I had just moved back to the Bay Area from Las Vegas to be closer to family while raising my daughter. Somita had moved to the Bay Area for the first time after a long stint overseas. We met on the first day of training for volunteer attorneys. We were placed in the same department and began getting to know each other through work. We realized we had the same practical approach to the law and the same motivation to help people while still keeping some resemblance of control over our schedules. We talked about starting our own firm in late December 2013 and opened our doors in February 2014.
AALM: After more than a decade, look back on those early years of launching the firm. Tell us about the challenges and the decisions you implemented to make your firm a success.
ZN: Being a minority women-owned law firm in the Bay Area in the area of estate planning and probate has been challenging. We decided early on that our motto would be ‘Not all money is good money.’ It took us longer to reach our goals as we turned down cases where clients were disrespectful or rude to us. We kept our focus on the quality of the work as opposed to the quantity of the work. It has served us well, but it wasn’t easy. There were many lean times in the early years. The one thing that helped us the most was our combined perseverance and similar mind set about the firm, our goals, and our values.
AALM: Can you tell us about any mentors in the field and how they supported you?
SB: Our first mentor, Retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, was instrumental in helping us understand how much our values and self-worth were key factors in our success. In an area of law that has very few attorneys that look like us (Black, brown, immigrant, women), we were absolutely climbing uphill when building our firm. In times of self-doubt, we turned to each other for support. But in times of extreme stress, we turned to Judge Cordell for her words of wisdom, support, and encouragement. Without her guidance, we would not have persevered through those first few years.
AALM: Can you share some advice with young first-generation lawyers or aspiring lawyers?
ZN: For first generation lawyers, I would encourage them all to believe in their skills and training and practice according to their values. Chasing fees at all costs is what often makes attorneys resent the practice of law. Believe in yourselves and stay the course! The legal system needs your fresh new perspectives.
For more information, visit nortonbasu.com.
