Manisha P. Patel celebrates legal wins with ice cream—while keeping her custom-tailored power suits clean

My nickname is … MP.

I can’t go a day without … my favorite French skincare/moisturizer.

If you were in my office, you’d … find a lot of orange and Virginia Tech-themed items.

My colleagues would be surprised to know that … I speak many different languages—learning languages is a favorite hobby of mine.

When I was a newbie lawyer I … second-guessed myself all the time.

The lawyer I most admire is … Tabitha Ann Holton (1854-1886), the first female licensed attorney in North Carolina and in the southern USA.

The quality I most like in a lawyer is … integrity.

My pre-trial routine is … to put on my favorite custom-tailored power suit!

When I started, I wish I knew … not to blindly trust everyone.

My career high point (so far) has been … opening my solo law firm and still going strong and thriving after seven years.

If I weren’t a lawyer, I’d be … a nail technician.

When I win a case, I celebrate by … by getting a McDonald’s M&M McFlurry.

I almost quit the law because … I was emotionally burnt out.

The SCOTUS justice I’d like to meet is … RBG, of course!

The SCOTUS decision I’d overturn is … How can I pick just one? Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) and Citizens United v. FEC (2010).

My favorite Instagram accounts to follow are … Still We Rise and Betches News.

I can’t believe more people haven’t read … The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

My fictional hero is … Diane Lockhart from The Good Wife/The Good Fight.

My real-life heroes are … my parents.

On weekends I … love to spend some quality time with my Kindle.

My most bizarre talent is … I have a steel-trap memory when it comes to dates and phone numbers.

I get angry when … I see injustice in my own community … and when people drive slow in the left lane on the highway.

On my best day I … feel like I can conquer anything!

On my worst day I … like to take time for self-care and recharge.

My earliest memory is … getting my first Barbie from my dad for my birthday on January 1, 1990.

My favorite song lyric is … “Tell me why!”

The TV show line I quote most often is “… that’s what she said.”

I wish I had invented … a way to travel the world without jet lag.

If I had a morning show, my co-host would be … my fellow VT alumna, Hoda Kotb.

The last TV show I binge-watched was … The Hunting Wives on Netflix.

Nothing cheers me up like … seeing my sweet pup, Rusty M. Patel, when I come home.

My guilty pleasure is … contemporary romance novels through my Kindle Unlimited membership.

My favorite word is … y’all.

My least-favorite word is … ain’t.

If I won the lottery I’d … become a professional volunteer and travel the world in my free time.

My courtroom walk-up song would be … “Stronger” by Britney Spears.

The question I wish people would stop asking is … “Why are you still single?”