{"id":9995,"date":"2014-06-03T13:03:07","date_gmt":"2014-06-03T17:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.cos.ucf.edu\/?p=9995"},"modified":"2019-06-18T15:59:07","modified_gmt":"2019-06-18T19:59:07","slug":"ucf-almunus-uses-political-science-degree-in-more-ways-than-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-almunus-uses-political-science-degree-in-more-ways-than-one\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF Alumnus Uses Political Science Degree in More Ways than One"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rishi<\/a>At the age of 20, Rishi Bagga, \u201903, graduated from UCF with a bachelor\u2019s degree in political science, and he never thought he would use it in so many different ways. Eleven years later, the successful attorney has now worked in various fields of law, politics and hospitality.<\/p>\n

After graduating from UCF, Bagga moved to Washington D.C to receive his J.D. degree at American University, Washington College of Law. From there he headed down to Miami to work as a prosecutor for the State of Florida. His efforts ranged from working with a domestic violence unit, to juvenile crimes and felonies and then to narcotics prosecution. He later received a grant to go back to American University to acquire his Master of Laws degree, focusing on law and government.<\/p>\n

In 2010 Bagga returned to Orlando with his LLM to work as an attorney for the Democratic Party\u2019s voter protection unit in the 2010 election. He then bravely put all the money he had into opening his own practice in Orlando. After a year and a half at his firm, Bagga was offered a position with a law firm in Miami. And after spending over a year there, he returned to Orlando in February of this year. Bagga now works as an attorney at his own firm, primarily focused on commercial litigation. He also serves as a general council in the family business at the Radisson Orlando hotel which is right down the street from UCF.<\/p>\n

Looking back at his journey to success, Bagga admitted it wasn\u2019t always a smooth road. He remembers pounding the pavement for months after receiving his LLM degree. Bagga explained, \u201cWhen you\u2019re on such a quick path you don\u2019t realize that there are deviations, so when you have to deviate it hits you even harder. Something important to learn is that you don\u2019t always know what\u2019s going to happen. You have to roll with the punches and stay flexible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bagga is happy to be back in Orlando, close to his family and alma mater. He admits dividing his time between his law firm and the hotel business has him far more relaxed than he was six months ago. Although he loves his work, Bagga explained he has a lot of things he hopes to do one day. And being a lawyer is more of a step than a destination.<\/p>\n

Here are a few responses to the lightning round of questions we asked to get to know Bagga.<\/p>\n

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