Arundhati Katju is a distinguished lawyer, human rights advocate, and one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of the Year (2019). Her work is globally recognized for her instrumental role in winning the landmark LGBTQ rights case, Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, before the Indian Supreme Court, which struck down the country's 157-year-old sodomy law. Her practice seamlessly integrates high-level litigation with a fierce commitment to constitutional and human rights.
Katju's professional experience is remarkably broad, spanning the public and private sectors. She was a public defender with the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee, arguing nearly 100 appellate cases, and has done extensive pro bono work, including representing child sexual abuse survivors. Simultaneously, she maintains a robust white-collar defense and commercial litigation practice, acting as a barrister for leading Indian firms and representing clients from Germany, Singapore, and the US in complex cases.
A dedicated scholar and policy contributor, Katju holds an LLM from Columbia Law School and has taught white collar crime law. She advised India’s National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and helped draft the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. Her doctoral research focuses on the genealogy of sexual and criminal identities in South Asia, providing a strategic foundation for future LGBT rights challenges in the region.
As a highly sought-after international speaker, Katju has delivered a TEDx talk and spoken at the UN, sharing her expertise on law, identity, and social justice. Her presentations are informed by her unique blend of litigation experience and academic research, empowering audiences with a deep understanding of how constitutional rights and global human rights movements can be leveraged to secure equality and dignity for marginalized communities.
