Sharma was the first person to file a petition before the Supreme Court In the Indian coal allocation scam. He also defended the accused in the 2012 Delhi gang rape case. In 2007, as an independent advocate, he filed a public interest litigation petition in the Supreme Court in the case of Sant Muktabai Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana. In November 2013, during the Supreme Court judge-intern sexual harassment scandal, he filed petition against the victim, a leading newspaper which followed up the story, the attorney general and an online blog accusing them of "criminal conspiracy" and asking for contempt proceedings against them. One of his arguments in the case was that the petitioner learned from ancient books that a lady rarely speaks truth for solely truth's sake and hence her words should not be trusted. Sharma has also challenged the validity of laws appointing the National Judicial Appointments Commission. However taking cognisance of certain "irresponsible and scandalous allegations levelled by him" against India parliamentarians, Court issued show cause notice to him asking "why he should not be debarred from filing and/or canvassing any Public Interest Litigation".
Controversies
As defence lawyer for one of the defendants in the 2012 Delhi gang rape case he raised controversy by accusing the victims. He faced a public outrage over his controversial statements against women in a BBC documentary titled India's Daughter. In the documentary. Alleging that his comments were inhumane, scandalous, unjustifiable and a direct affront to and in violation of the dignity of women, especially those practising in the Supreme Court, Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking restriction on the entry of ML Sharma in apex court premises.
In May 2015, Supreme Court of India had issued a notice asking why he should not be debarred from filing and/or canvassing any Public Interest Litigation on account of the "irresponsible and scandalous allegations levelled by him” against the members of Indian Parliament in one of his petitions. He later apologised and was allowed to file PILs with certain checks.
Supreme Court dismissed the Public Interest Litigation filed by him regarding to the General Elections conducted in 2019.
