Nabeela Virjee

Nabeela Virjee is a civil litigation attorney at Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP, one of the largest environmental and insurance coverage practices in the Midwest. Nabeela has an extensive litigation background for clients in personal injury, employment, and civil rights matters. She previously held the position of Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Indianapolis, where she defended the city in complex civil rights and employment cases. Additionally, Nabeela was recognized both as a Rising Star by Indiana Super Lawyers and among Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America for personal injury and commercial litigation.

 

spotify
amazon-music
apple-podcast

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

  • [1:56] Nabeela Virjee shares her family’s journey from East Africa to Canada and eventually Indiana
  • [6:41] Adjusting to American culture and how it shaped her ability to connect with all kinds of people
  • [10:32] Founding Hotel Tango Distillery while in law school and lessons in entrepreneurship
  • [12:35] Why a traumatic pedestrian accident changed her view on personal injury law
  • [21:47] Representing the city in a high-stakes civil rights case involving police accountability
  • [29:09] Nabeela’s experience joining a plaintiff’s firm and rediscovering her passion for serving individuals
  • [31:49] Exploring condemnation litigation and discovering an unexpected interest in real estate valuation

In this episode…

Navigating a legal career while staying true to your values, healing from trauma, and serving underrepresented communities is no small feat. Many professionals face burnout or disillusionment when their work no longer aligns with their true purpose. How can lawyers and public servants rediscover their passion, pivot effectively, and use their voice to advocate for justice and change?

Nabeela Virjee, an experienced litigator in personal injury and employment law, shares a powerful journey marked by resilience, adaptability, and service. Drawing on her immigrant upbringing and early teaching career, Nabeela explains how systemic inequality shaped her desire to pursue a career in law. She offers insights on the value of taking unconventional career paths, the impact of real-life trauma on her decision to switch from defense to plaintiff work, and the importance of mentorship, vulnerability, and community. Nabeela emphasizes building authentic relationships and staying open to growth — even through pain.

In this episode of the Circle City Conversations podcast, Alex Limontes interviews Nabeela Virjee, a civil litigation attorney at Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP, about transforming adversity into purpose-driven legal work. Nabeela also discusses lessons from founding a distillery, litigating high-profile civil rights cases, and raising young children while growing her legal practice.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

  • “You can’t change the rules unless you know the rules, and you can’t know the rules.”
  • “Our job is to highlight the impact of an injury on the human experience.”
  • “I’m not here to give it to you. You have to take advantage of the opportunity.”
  • “Being a trial lawyer is something that you just are or you’re not.”
  • “I don’t want to be a hoarder of information. I want to be a sharer of information.”

Action Steps:

  1. Be open to trying new career paths: Each pivot can expand your skills, network, and long-term clarity.
  2. Pick up the phone more often: Direct communication builds trust, clears misunderstandings, and strengthens both professional and personal relationships.
  3. Advocate for underrepresented voices in your field: Elevating others not only drives equity but also enhances the integrity of your profession.
  4. Stay connected to your community: Maintaining authentic relationships helps ground your work in purpose and shared values.
  5. Let lived experience guide your advocacy: Personal encounters with injustice can fuel more empathetic, impactful representation and leadership.

Sponsor for this episode…

This episode is brought to you by Hurst Limontes LLC — a personal injury law firm based in Indiana.

Founded in 1981, Hurst Limontes LLC is one of the few firms whose practice focuses exclusively on victims of negligence and their families.

With more than 116 years of combined experience among our attorneys, you can trust us to handle your cases with valuable and extensive expertise. We have the knowledge to handle any case — from automobile accidents to construction site accidents, firearm discharge accidents, slips and falls, and more.

No matter how complex the case or how significant the injury is, we aim to make the process as stress-free as possible for clients.

Our attorneys have represented thousands of injured clients and obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts.

Have you or a family member been a personal injury victim in Indiana? Contact our dedicated team of personal injury lawyers at hurstlimontes.com or email alimontes@hurstlimontes.com.