Somya Agarwal, Head Legal and Company Secretary at Fractal Analytics in India, reflects on rediscovering the deeper purpose of being a General Counsel.
Doctors serve. Lawyers serve, too.
These words came up in a quiet moment of conversation during my meditation retreat this week. A fellow practitioner – who’s also a doctor – shared them so simply, and yet they landed with depth.
It made me pause.
As a child, I dreamt of becoming a lawyer to support women in society. That was my “why.” Clear. Purposeful. Service-driven.
Now, as a corporate General Counsel, I found myself asking – am I still serving?
The setting helped – nestled in stillness, guided by silence, supported by nature. And slowly, the answers unfolded:
Yes, I serve:
• When I uphold ethics in boardrooms.
• When I embed responsibility into AI policies and governance.
• When I protect data, ideas, and the dignity behind them.
• When I mentor younger women and lead with compassion.
• When I bring fairness into contracts, not just compliance.
Service doesn’t always wear a robe or stand in a courtroom. Sometimes it sits at a table, anchors a boardroom, and leads quietly but firmly.
Meditation helped me reconnect with that purpose – beneath all the titles, the “why” still beats strong.
Would love to hear from others – how do you see service in what you do?
