By Rezina Tuladhar, Yesnepali

NEW YORK, Oct. 30 – Every big journey starts with a single step. For Bashu D. Phulara, Esq., that step was taken in a small village in Nepal’s far-western Doti district. Today, the son of Doti runs his own law firm in Times Square, one of the busiest and most famous places in the world.

His story is not one of shortcuts. It is one of patience, study and the courage to keep going.

Phulara grew up in a middle-class family in Doti, where he stood out as a dedicated student from an early age. In 1995, he left home for Kathmandu to study law. He earned his Bachelor of Laws (BL) from Nepal Law Campus in 1998 and his Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Tribhuvan University in 2001, finishing among the top performers in his program. In recognition of his academic achievements, the Government of Nepal awarded him the prestigious Mahendra Vidya Bhushan decoration.

Many would have stopped there. Phulara kept going. In 2005, he moved to the United States to attend the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York, starting over in a new country, a new culture and a new legal system. In 2008, he earned a second LL.M. there with a Dean’s Merit Scholarship.

In 2011, he was admitted to the New York State Bar, which licenses lawyers to practice in New York. Since then, he has practiced immigration, business, family and civil law, representing individuals, families, entrepreneurs and businesses in U.S. immigration matters, including asylum and removal (deportation) proceedings.

For Phulara, the work is personal. “I went through the U.S. immigration process myself,” he said. “I know how uncertain it can feel, and I try to bring that understanding to every client I meet.”

In 2017, he opened his own firm, Bashu D. Phulara, P.C., with its main office in Times Square. The firm practices U.S. immigration and nationality law and also has a presence in Kathmandu, bringing his journey full circle to the country where it began.

Phulara is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the leading national association of U.S. immigration lawyers, and the New York State Bar Association. He has also contributed to the legal profession through education, research and professional development.

Asked what he would tell young people in Nepal who dream of a future like his, Phulara kept it simple. “Where you start does not decide where you finish,” he said. “Education opened every door for me. Work hard, stay honest and don’t give up when the road gets long.”