Kartini Muljadi

At the age of 86, Kartini Muljadi still works 12 hours a day. As the founder and senior partner of Kartini Muljadi & Partners, Kartini starts work at 8 a.m. and finishes at 8 p.m. “Time is given to be used wisely. Never waste time for unimportant matters. Use it to do good things in life,” she said.

Through her law firm, Kartini has provided counsel to business leaders, government representatives, practising lawyers and academics, both from Indonesia and overseas. Prior to that, she served as a judge of the Special Court of Jakarta and then practised as a civil law notary.

“My purpose has never changed since the beginning. I want to take part in upholding the law in Indonesia.”

It is true that actions speak louder than words. Kartini never loses her spirit and always keeps her commitment. “I always want to make myself useful to others, and be happy because of that.”

Known as one of the country’s leading corporate lawyers, Kartini has no intentions of slowing down; she continues to work and learn at the same time. The free time she does have, she loves to spend with her family or read books. She even has her own library at home. “I never limit myself to a specific kind of book. Humans are multi-faceted. We must understand so many things, starting with yourself and then followed by others.”