From a young age, I knew I wanted to become an attorney. It wasn’t just a passing interest; it was a calling shaped by personal history, lived experience, and a vision for the kind of future I wanted to help create.

My father immigrated to the United States from Dhaka, Bangladesh, carrying with him Pakistani and Persian roots, a blend of cultures and histories that shaped his identity and, in turn, mine. My mother, of Black and Native American heritage, made the difficult decision to set aside her own career ambitions to raise and support our family. Growing up within this richly diverse background, I came to understand the power of opportunity, the importance of representation, and the value of being heard.

I recognized early that I wanted a different path, one where I could honor my family’s sacrifices while building a future grounded in purpose and impact. Becoming an attorney offered that path. It promised stability, intellectual challenge, and the chance to make a tangible difference. Early on in high school, I interned at a law firm where I was mentored by dedicated attorneys who showed me that law was not just about rules, it was about people. Their guidance stayed with me through college and into various legal roles in business, finance, torts, and insurance, all leading me toward law school and ultimately achieving my dream.

I have always had a passion for litigation. From an early age, I was drawn to the power of advocacy, the thrill of crafting arguments, the strategy of courtroom dynamics, and the profound responsibility of standing up for others. Litigation allows me to channel my love for communication, analysis, and justice into something meaningful. It is not just about winning cases; it’s about telling stories that matter and fighting for fairness in ways that have real-world impact.

Representation matters. Today, Black and Indigenous attorneys make up less than 5% of the legal profession in the United States, a stark reminder of the work to diversify the legal profession that still needs to be done.[i] The absence of diversity in the legal profession didn’t discourage me, rather, it fueled me. It made me want to step into that space and show others that they, too, belong. Lawyers are uniquely positioned to influence impressionable youth, especially those from underrepresented communities. The ability to speak to young people who may not yet see their potential and to be a source of guidance and inspiration is something I take seriously and hope to expand on in my career.[ii]

Being an attorney for me is about more than cases or courtrooms. It’s about community. It’s about standing up for others. It’s about making the law more inclusive and representative, one case, one client, and one conversation at a time.

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Sources

[i] Deborah L. Rhode, Legal Ethics and the Future of the Profession, 44 Akron L. Rev. 685, 690–91 (2011) (discussing the importance of diversity and representation within the legal profession).

[ii] Sari Pekkala Kerr et al., Entrepreneurship and Urban Growth: An Empirical Assessment with Historical Mines, 135 Q.J. Econ. 145, 160–62 (2020) (noting how minority representation in professional services contributes to broader economic and social inclusion).