Monika Nataraj is an Indian and common law-trained advocate, joining us from the current International Dispute Resolution LL.M. cohort at Humboldt University Berlin. She holds a BBA LLB from Symbiosis Law School. 

Before moving to Berlin, Monika practiced as a Junior Associate at Sampath and Associates in Bangalore, handling diverse civil, criminal, and corporate disputes with a strong interest in arbitration. Her background also spans corporate and advisory internships, from analyzing private equity agreements to researching complex commercial matters for a Senior Counsel at the Supreme Court of India. Most recently, she put her expertise into practice as an arbitrator at the 33rd Willem C. Vis Moot in Vienna. 

Beyond her academic and professional work, she is an avid traveler and a former national-level throwball champion. 

We look very much forward to working with Monika and have so many questions…

What was your first job?  

I worked as a teacher at Dream School Foundation, an NGO striving to provide education for underprivileged children. 

Breakfast or dinner?  

Definitely dinner. 

What do you cook when you spontaneously have friends over for dinner? 

Friends are over, frozen pizza’s out, 

Time to see what tonight is all about. 

Mountains or Seaside?  

I’ll take the mountain breeze over the salty seas. 

If you could meet someone famous, dead or alive, who would it be? 

I would choose the first person who ever looked at a raw coffee bean, roasted it, ground it, boiled it, and thought, “Yes, this bitter bean water is exactly what humanity needs to function every morning.” 

Which was your favorite place to live so far? 

Berlin is amazing but my heart lies in Bangalore.  

Digital or analogue? 

Analogue for sure. 

Favorite time of day? 

Sunset. 

Window or aisle seat? 

I used to love the window seat for the view; now I prefer the aisle for the freedom. Somewhere along the way, growing up shifted my priority from wanting to see the world to wanting the autonomy to move within it. This is a very recent realisation that I had – funny how this question popped up here. 

Country you wish to visit? 

Greece. 

What song will always get you on the dancefloor? 

Last benchu party (Kannada). 

Good advice you’ve received? 

My mom once told me, “Control is an illusion; the tighter the grip, the faster the sand slips.” 

Biggest pet peeve? 

Dirty washrooms. 

Favorite (public) holiday? 

Diwali in India and obviously Christmas in Berlin.  

Last new thing you learned? 

Surfing. 

Three words to describe Berlin? 

History, vibrant and techno. 

Three words to describe your hometown, Bangalore? 

Culture, warm and fun. 

Night owl or early bird? 

Night owl. 

Favorite pizza topping? 

Jalapenos.