Bogdana Orășeanu – From 25 Years as a Judge to a New Perspective in Law Practice

Discover the professional journey of Bogdana Orășeanu, lawyer and former judge with over 25 years of experience. She shares the defining moments of her career, the values that guide her, and the transition from the judiciary to legal advocacy. A story of balance, integrity, and the pursuit of justice.

Bogdana Orășeanu has been a lawyer with the Bucharest Bar for three years, and before that she served as a judge for twenty-five years.
Throughout her professional activity she has gained extensive experience, resolving numerous cases as a judge, primarily in the fields of criminal law and labor law, as well as in other areas.
As a culmination of her judicial career, Bogdana was appointed judicial inspector within the Judicial Inspection.
In her role as a lawyer she has gained a new perspective on how judicial procedures unfold from the other side of the courtroom, successfully applying the expertise accumulated over all her years of work.

C&B: If we were to look at a narrative thread of your career, what were the key moments that defined you?
Bogdana Orășeanu: The admission exam into the magistracy was only one of the many competitions and exams I took throughout my career. Each of them represented key moments because they brought major changes. I was promoted, through competitive examination, from the position of judge at the Fifth District Court to that of judge at the Bucharest Tribunal and later at the Bucharest Court of Appeal.
At every court I made use of the experience previously gained and continually enhanced my professional knowledge in order to face new challenges. I did this with great dedication, fully aware of the high expectations of society and of each individual appearing before me.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far and how did you overcome it?
Bogdana Orășeanu: I have faced the difficulties specific to career women:
How to balance family life with my profession in such a way that neither of the two would be sacrificed or put at risk.
My love for my family and the fact that I have always felt the profession of judge as a calling helped me overcome challenges and regain balance.
Unfortunately, I believe that at times my family suffered because of my profession, which kept me very busy and too often away from home.

C&B: Has there been a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?
Bogdana Orășeanu: I would not call it a dream or an ambition, but there has always been a desire to achieve justice. This desire has guided me in the past and continues to guide me now, and there is nothing more professionally fulfilling for me than speaking the truth and finding justice.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you have transformed since then?
Bogdana Orășeanu: It is a very good question, one I have reflected on many times. In the early years of my professional career I was very confident and ambitious, well prepared professionally, but lacking life experience. I want to believe that time has brought me more wisdom and tolerance and that the life lessons I learned from the cases I judged helped me become a better person. I believe I still have much to learn and refine, since most situations I encounter as a lawyer are impressive in their own way.

C&B: If we were to meet your collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Bogdana Orășeanu: I would like to believe they would say at least a small part of what I would say about them.
Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to meet exceptional professionals and people with high moral values. It was an extraordinary privilege because they helped me develop and made me love what I do even more.

C&B: What is the most important decision you have made that changed your trajectory?
Bogdana Orășeanu: Looking at the past few years, it is the decision to retire from the magistracy and begin a career as a lawyer.
Such a change is radical and brings with it a fresh trajectory, new perspectives, and unique professional fulfilments. The new perspective is very interesting and I am glad I chose this path.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style or the way you make decisions? Was it a natural or a learned process?
Bogdana Orășeanu: Through the nature of the judicial profession my activity consisted in making decisions regarding the freedom, rights, and interests of individuals.
To some extent it was a natural process, a trait of my character that developed along with my other abilities. At the same time I was required from the very beginning to make decisions in accordance with the law, due to the specific nature of the judicial profession. Practically I had no choice.
Having done this for so long, I feel it is a part of me, although to be honest I do not know what kind of person I would be today had my work been easier.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now and what moments bring you the most satisfaction?
Bogdana Orășeanu: A typical day for me is very full and usually begins at six in the morning.
I have household tasks and professional activities, I live outside Bucharest so I face terrible traffic every day and try to maintain a balance between everything.
My first moment of satisfaction comes right when I wake up because I have a new day ahead of me and I am an optimistic person.
Every professional achievement brings me satisfaction but nothing compares to the time spent with my family. This is the most precious to me and is my source of joy.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do and how do you apply them day by day?
Bogdana Orășeanu: They are the principles expressed by the jurist Ulpian. “Honeste vivere, alterum non laedere, suum cuique tribuere.” In translation, to live honorably, not to harm anyone, and to give each person what is rightfully theirs.
I apply them both in my personal and professional relationships and they give me balance and peace of mind without which I could not have a harmonious life.

C&B: If you were to send a message to people who follow your example, what would it be?
Bogdana Orășeanu: To trust their own strength, to always remain open to learning, to stay in harmony with their own principles, and not to be afraid to learn from mistakes.

A career built on integrity and dedication, transformed into a renewed mission: bringing truth and justice closer to those who seek them.