Meet Amrit Kaur Pannu: A Hard-working Young Professional Pursuing Her Life Goals

Amrit Kaur Pannu is a proud Sikh from India, a promising author, and a dedicated young law professional with aspirations of becoming a lawyer in Canada.

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Born in 1993 in Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab. Pannu embraces her Sikh heritage and maintains a relationship with her community, as it helps to reflect the journey of how she became the person she is today.

“I’m Sikh, therefore, I believe very strongly in certain values of my culture,” said Pannu. “It shapes my day-to-day thinking in a certain manner as well.”

While growing up, art was Pannu’s first choice when it came to career options; however, the weight of Asian culture’s expectations led her to pursue a more financially secure profession in law.

“Family plays a larger role in all of the important decisions that you make for yourself because we have a joint family system there,” said Pannu. “It’s not one person making the decision or guidance, it’s you following someone else's authority.”

Pannu finished her BA in Economic and Business Law in India and moved to Scotland to get her first Master’s degree in Public International Law, with a concentration in Human Rights at the University of Edinburgh in 2018.

Pannu then joined the offices of Hon. Mr. Justice Mammohan at the Delhi High Court as a legal researcher and got experience in independent practice as an advocate for the High Court of Punjab and Haryana for over a year.

In 2022, she co-authored the book “International Law,” published by the Allahabad Law Agency.

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That same year, Pannu arrived in Ottawa, and embarked on an immigration journey to Canada, enticed by the promise of a better standard of living, safety and civil rights.

“I want to make a life for myself here, to start over and to create something for myself,” said Pannu. “I don’t want to take things that were given by my parents back home.”

In 2023, Pannu graduated from the University of Ottawa, with a second Master’s degree in Law, within 18 months.

Pannu’s plan for the future is ambitious, as she intends to take the bar exam and apply to the Law Society of Ontario, to become a criminal lawyer within the next year.

“My parents right now are very supportive and support me in everything,” said Pannu. “I want to see what I can do for myself here.”

While proficient in Punjabi and English, Pannu is also passionate about learning new languages like French and Arabic as a beginner.

Despite her love for the arts, Pannu indulges in painting only as a hobby while focusing on her legal career.

As Pannu straddles two different cultures, moving to Canada made her realize she has to let go of certain things in her cultural values.

“I want to adapt to a different atmosphere,” said Pannu. “Sometimes changes are good for you if you can adapt to new situations and you can make the best of it.”

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Pannu encourages the younger generation to pursue education and independence, and describes the importance of continuing education.

“You need to go to school and you can study anything at school, just do not stop going to university or college,” she said.

Pannu plans to focus on passing the bar exam, getting her license to start working and publishing a second book within the next few years.

“This is just the beginning,” said Pannu. “My second book is coming soon as I’m looking for more opportunities to write and publish books in the future.”