Somita Basu’s life and background are truly representative of America’s diversity and mobility. Somita grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska before moving in her painfully awkward teen years to Silver Spring, Maryland, where she attended high school. After graduating from college in New Jersey with a degree in mathematics (who says all lawyers hate math?), Somita went to work at Prudential Life Insurance Company, providing her with her foundation in financial services and insurance that would serve her well as an estate planning and probate attorney.
Somita’s path to Norton Basu LLP was not straightforward. She lived and worked in Mumbai, India for three years before shifting to Singapore for a decade. It was during her time in Singapore that Somita decided to shift gears and pursue a legal career. She attended law school remotely and flew into California (jet lag and all) to take (and pass) the California bar exam. When Somita finally moved to the Bay Area in 2013, she knew she wanted to immerse herself in her new community and find a way to give back, so she began volunteering with Bay Area Legal Aid. She met Zakiya Norton on the first day of volunteer training and a life-long connection was forged through the two future firm partners working together on multiple complicated cases (and sharing a common sense of humor).
Somita brings a unique cultural perspective to the firm. Having lived and worked abroad and as an immigrant herself, Somita has a deep appreciation for how cultural perspectives can impact decision making for her clients. She also understands the complexities of handling overseas assets.
Somita serves as the Chair-Elect for the Solo and Small Firm Section of the California Lawyers Association, past editor of The Practitioner (the Section’s premier publication), and was on the influential Project 2021 Committee for the CLA to determine the future of the association. She is also the Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Outreach Committee of the California Lawyers Association and a member of the American Bar Association and the Silicon Valley Bar Association. Somita gives back to the community through her role as a board member of the non-profit, Justice At Last, where she a member of the Fundraising Committee. Somita is a fluent English and Bengali speaker and knows conversational Hindi.