https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=117.54.231.75Bharatpedia - User contributions [en]2026-08-08T03:00:17ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Raja_Rajeswari&diff=254326Raja Rajeswari2021-04-28T04:04:13Z<p>117.54.231.75: /* See also */</p>
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<div>'''Raja Rajeswari''' is a [[Criminal law|criminal court]] [[judge]] in New York. She is the first [[Indian American]] and [[South Asia]]n woman judge in the state.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/266-15/mayor-de-blasio-swears-28-judges-recently-appointed-family-court-criminal-court-civil | title=Mayor de Blasio Swears in 28 Judges Recently Appointed to Family Court, Criminal Court, and Civil Court | publisher=Official website of New York government | date=27 April 2015 | accessdate=1 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Chennai-born-US-Judge-Lives-the-American-Dream/2015/05/02/article2793264.ece1 | title=Chennai-born US Judge Lives the American Dream | publisher=[[New Indian Express]] | work=Archita Suryanarayanan | date=2 May 2016 | accessdate=1 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://judicialreforms.org/component/content/article/70-international-news/823-raising-the-bar-lavina-melwani.html | title=Raising the Bar - Lavina Melwani | publisher=CJAR | accessdate=1 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/education/story/raja-rajeswari-becomes-the-first-indian-origin-woman-judge-of-new-york/1/432791.html | title=Raja Rajeswari: 7 Facts about the first Indian-origin woman Judge of New York | publisher=[[India Today]] | date=29 April 2015 | accessdate=1 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://gulfnews.com/culture/people/new-york-gets-india-born-woman-judge-1.1579912 | title=New York gets India-born woman judge | publisher=[[Gulf News]] | date=1 May 2016 | accessdate=1 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/nri-achievers/Raja-Rajeswari-becomes-New-Yorks-first-Indian-American-judge/articleshow/46941696.cms | title=Raja Rajeswari becomes New York's first Indian-American judge | publisher=[[Times of India]] | date=16 April 2015 | accessdate=1 May 2016}}</ref> She graduated from [[Brooklyn Law School]] in 1998.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.brooklaw.edu/newsandevents/news/2015/05-01-2015?cat=Alumni | title=Raja Rajeswari ’98 New York City’s First Indian-Born Woman Judge | publisher=[[Brooklyn Law School]] | accessdate=1 May 2016}}</ref><br />
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==See also==<br />
*[[List of Asian American jurists]]<br />
*[[List of first women lawyers and judges in New York]]<br />
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==References==<br />
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[[Category:Brooklyn Law School alumni]]<br />
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{{US-judge-stub}}</div>117.54.231.75https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nandita_Berry&diff=108390Nandita Berry2021-04-28T03:01:43Z<p>117.54.231.75: /* References */</p>
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<div>{{short description|Indian American attorney from Houston|bot=PearBOT 5}}<br />
{{Infobox officeholder<br />
|name=Nandita Venkateswaran Berry<br />
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1968|4|14}}<br />
|birth_place=[[Hyderabad]], [[India]]<br />
|death_date=<br />
|death_place=<br />
|death_cause=<br />
|resting_place=<br />
|office=109th [[Secretary of State of Texas]]<br />
|governor=[[Rick Perry]]<br />
|term_start=January 7, 2014<br />
|term_end=January 20, 2015<br />
|preceded=[[John Steen (Texas politician)|John Steen]]<br />
|succeeded=[[Carlos Cascos]]<br />
|residence=[[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]], USA<br />
|occupation=[[Lawyer]]<br />
|party=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]<br />
|alma_mater=[[Mount Carmel College, Bangalore]]<br><br />
[[University of Houston]] (BA, JD)<br />
|spouse=[[Michael Berry (radio host)|Michael Berry]]<br />
|children=Two sons<br />
|religion =<br />
}}<br />
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'''Nandita Venkateswaran Berry''' (born April 14, 1968) is an [[Indian American]] [[Lawyer|attorney]] from [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], who served as the 109th [[Secretary of State of Texas|Secretary of State]] of [[Texas]]. An [[India]]n native and naturalized [[United States|American]] citizen, she assumed the role on January 7, 2014, upon appointment from then-[[governor of Texas|Governor]] [[Rick Perry]]. She succeeded [[John Steen (Texas politician)|John Thomas Steen, Jr.]], a lawyer from [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]], who had served as secretary of state for thirteen months.<br />
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Berry was one of six officials who make up the executive department of the state of [[Texas]]. Of those officials, five are elected, and only the secretary of state is appointed. The secretary of state is the chief elections officer, the protocol officer for state and international matters, and the liaison for the governor on [[Mexico|Mexican]] and border matters.<ref name=berry>{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.state.tx.us/about/newsreleases/2014/010714.shtml|title=Nandita Berry sworn in as Texas Secretary of State, January 7, 2014|publisher=sos.state.tx.us|access-date=January 31, 2014}}</ref><br />
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==Early life and background==<br />
Originally from [[Hyderabad]], India, Berry graduated from [[Mount Carmel College, Bangalore]], India. She subsequently received both bachelor's and law degrees from the [[University of Houston]] and the [[University of Houston Law Center]]. She and her husband, [[Michael Berry (radio host)|Michael Berry]], a [[conservative talk radio]] host, attorney, and a former member of the [[Houston City Council]], have two adopted sons.<ref name=berry/><br />
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==Career==<br />
Prior to her appointment, Berry was affiliated with the Houston office of the [[Dallas]]-based [[Locke Lord]] law firm. She is a former vice chair on the Board of Regents of the [[University of Houston System]]. She has served on the boards of the [[Houston Zoo]], the Houston Area Women's Center, the Community Family Center of Houston, and the South Asian [[Chamber of Commerce]].<ref name=berry/> <br />
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On Sept 6, 2017, Nandita was appointed to the Board of Trustees for Whitestone [[REIT]], A Houston-based commercial [[Real Estate Investment Trust]].<br />
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Governor Perry said that Berry came to the United States at the age of twenty-one "with nothing but $200 to her name" and has become "one of the most accomplished attorneys in the state."<ref name="statement">{{cite news|url=http://www.chron.com/news/politics/texas/article/Perry-names-Houston-lawyer-secretary-of-state-5079176.php|title=Peggy Fikac, "Perry names Houston lawyer secretary of state", December 19, 2013|newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]|access-date=January 31, 2014}}</ref> Berry said that she is "truly humbled to follow in the footsteps of [[Stephen F. Austin]], Texas' first secretary of state. Like him, I came to Texas in search of a better life and the limitless opportunities to be found across our great state. Every day, I see Austin's pioneering spirit alive in Texas, and this great honor proves once again Texas is the land of opportunity, both in the private sector and public service."<ref name="statement" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/2013/12/texas-government-appointee-hails-from.html?page=all|title=Katy Stewart, "Texas government appointee hails from top Houston law firm", December 20, 2013|publisher=bizjournals.com|access-date=January 31, 2014}}</ref><br />
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Berry was the eighth and final person to hold the secretary of state's position in the Perry administration. Governor [[Greg Abbott]] announced on November 11, 2014, that he was replacing Berry with [[Carlos Cascos]], the Republican [[county judge]] of [[Cameron County, Texas|Cameron County]] in [[Brownsville, Texas|Brownsville]] in far [[South Texas]]. Cascos was confirmed by the [[Texas State Senate]] on February 18, 2015.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 18, 2015 |title=Carlos Cascos confirmed as Texas Secretary of State |url=http://www.sos.state.tx.us/about/newsreleases/2015/021815.shtml |newspaper=Texas Secretary of State |location=[[Austin, Texas]] }}</ref><br />
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{{Portal|India|Texas|Law|Politics}}<br />
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==See also==<br />
*[[List of first women lawyers and judges in Texas]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}{{s-start}}<br />
{{s-off}}<br />
{{succession box<br />
| title=[[Secretary of State of Texas]]<br />
Nandita Venkateswaran Berry<br />
| before=[[John Steen (Texas politician)|John Thomas Steen, Jr.]]<br />
| after=[[Carlos Cascos]]<br />
| years=2014-2015<br />
}}<br />
{{s-end}}<br />
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{{Texas Women's Hall of Fame}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berry, Nandita}}<br />
[[Category:1968 births]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Secretaries of State of Texas]]<br />
[[Category:Texas Republicans]]<br />
[[Category:Texas lawyers]]<br />
[[Category:Politicians from Hyderabad, India]]<br />
[[Category:Lawyers from Houston]]<br />
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]<br />
[[Category:University of Houston alumni]]<br />
[[Category:University of Houston Law Center alumni]]<br />
[[Category:University of Houston System regents]]<br />
[[Category:American people of Telugu descent]]<br />
[[Category:American women lawyers]]<br />
[[Category:American politicians of Indian descent]]<br />
[[Category:Mount Carmel College, Bangalore alumni]]</div>117.54.231.75