25 Women for 2024: Judge Hetal Desai wants people to be 'treated with dignity'

Tallahassee native, judge, podcaster, and community leader Hetal Desai knew she wanted to be a lawyer, but it wasn’t until working as a law clerk after law school for a judge that she realized she wanted to become a judge herself.

After graduating with a Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida, she practiced law in New York. But after 9/11, she craved home and returned to Tallahassee for a reset. “I began working with that same judge,” she says. “It was like starting again!”

That resilient spirit, commitment to treating people with dignity, and helping people through the legal process has made her a respected member of the legal community and one of Tallahassee’s 25 Women You Need to Know.

Soon after coming home to Tallahassee, Desai was working as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Tallahassee, where she served as counsel for various committees and projects including some of the iconic landmarks of the city. “I got to do fun things like be part of the creation of Cascades Park, the civil rights sidewalk project, and really feel like I was helping people in my community, which I wasn’t able to do in New York City.”

Judge Hetal Desai currently serves with the Florida State Division of Administrative Hearings, deciding on cases brought by state agencies, including everything from child support to business licensing. She likes that every day brings something new.

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“It is important to me that people are treated with dignity,” Desai said. “I want to work hard to ensure fairness and help people through a complicated process.”

She wasted no time getting involved in the business community as a leader and volunteer, and has served in leadership positions for Leadership Tallahassee, Community Foundation of North Florida, and The Village Square. “The close-knit community of Tallahassee makes it easy to get involved,” she said.

Desai is also a member of Leadership Florida, Knight Foundation's KCCI program, the Hindu Temple of Greater Tallahassee, the Tallahassee Indian Association, and serves in various legal organizations including as Chair of a grievance committee that hears complaints against local lawyers.

She is a first-generation American citizen, and her parents were some of the first Indian families in Tallahassee. “They are founding members of the first Hindu Temple in Tallahassee,” she says. “They came here 50 years ago and are still here!”

Judge Desai hosts a podcast, “Never Contemplated” for the Florida Bar Center for Professionalism.

“We started with the idea to interview female judges and other women attorneys who are trailblazers,” she said. “It’s called ‘Never Contemplated’ because of a court case that stated women were never contemplated to be lawyers, and were not allowed to take the bar exam. It wasn’t that long ago!”

Now her guests include notable members of the legal profession who have a unique story to tell. “The people I have been able to interview are so amazing,” she reflects.

At home, Desai enjoys cooking, being outdoors, and being with her family, which includes her husband Patrick and two daughters. “They keep me busy,” she said.

She sees strength in Tallahassee, and has faith in our community.

“Tallahassee welcomed my parents 50 years ago, when they left their families and created a life here. I want Tallahassee to remain as that kind of welcoming community,” Desai said. “We all come from different backgrounds and have different views, but we care about the same things - our small businesses, children, education, parks, and all of the things that make it a good place to live.”

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 25 Women for 2024: Judge Hetal Desai works to ensure fairness