January
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It was a desire to follow in his family’s tradition of public service that led newly elected 127th Civil District Court Judge Ravi Sandill to run for public office. 
Judge Ravi Sandill (J.D. '01)
It was a desire to follow in his family’s tradition of public
service that led newly elected 127th Civil District Court Judge Ravi
Sandill to run for public office.Sandill’s grandfather had served in the British military in India, his father is still active duty in the U.S. Air Force, and Sandill himself had done stints in Washington, D.C., working for Sen. John Kerry and serving in the Clinton Administration. But presiding as a district judge and upholding the laws of the state of Texas seemed like the ultimate opportunity to serve the public, Sandill said.
“My family has always been involved in public service,” he said. “It is a commitment that has gone through to me.”
Sandill, who earned his J.D. from the UH Law Center in 2001, took his post in January after winning the November election by a margin of 11,000 votes. In doing so, he became the first Indian-American to be elected to a countywide office in Harris County, and the first South Asian district judge to be elected in the state.
“It’s special for me and my community,” he said. “Everyone is proud. … I think it helps South Asians know that there is a place for them in the judicial system.”
Sandill said he is pleased with the diversity at the courthouse and said he hopes his election will let others with similar aspirations know, “this is something that can be done, and has been done.”
In his new role, Sandill is one of twenty five judges in Harris County who preside over a variety of civil cases, including: personal injury, tax matters, medical malpractice, commercial litigation, employment litigation, and others.
The Law Center curriculum and his experiences at UH helped prepare him for this job, Sandill said.“
It was very collegial – everyone was looking out for everyone else’s best interests,” he said of his time at UH. “Even though law school at heart is competitive, that never really reared its ugly head.”
Just a few weeks into his new assignment, Sandill said he is already enjoying it immensely.
“It is great,” he said. “Everyone always wants to have a job where they feel they make a difference, and here, you are making a difference in people’s lives.”
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