Student and Alumni Profiles

What I Did Before Law School:

After college, I spent two years in Washington, DC working for United States Senator Max Cleland (D-GA) as a Legislative Staffer and Personal Aide on issues of Immigration and Education policy. Subsequent to this, I worked as an independent political consultant on the Georgia 2002 campaigns before heading overseas. Leaving politics behind, I spent 14 months doing intensive language work in Arabic, Farsi and Urdu, as well as Islamic legal studies, in Damascus (Syria) and Lahore (Pakistan). I also researched for my masters thesis entitled “Jihad of the Wretched: Examining Islamic Militancy Through the Philosophy of Frantz Fanon.” Upon returning to the US, I embarked on a whirlwind tour of friend’s weddings where dancing Punjabi Bhangra became a full-time job!

What I Am Hoping to Do With My Law Degree:

I have several aspirations with regard to my law degree. Initially, I hope to work for a law firm, but my long-term goal is to be involved in international development law and human rights, specifically focusing on the Middle East, South Asia and Southern Africa. This includes issues like judicial reform, constitutional reform and development of indigenous legal infrastructure in the developing world. For example, I would like to consult international governments on how to craft legal doctrine that blend classical Islamic law with the needs of modern administrative states. Additionally, I hope to contribute to educating disenfranchised communities in the United States on their civil liberties and civil rights. Eventually, I hope to take my experiences and enter legal academia.

My Best Experience at Penn Law:

Going to Havana, Cuba with the Cuba Law Project during Spring Break of my first year. It was an amazing opportunity to officially visit Cuba with a delegation of law students and meet with Cuban lawyers, judges, law professors and others. There is so much one hears about Cuba in relation to justice, and this trip gave me a chance to separate truth from fiction. I gained tremendous insight on alternative strategies for adjudication and the structure of a legal system based on values different than our own. Visiting Cuba with fellow Penn Law students of all political persuasions meant there was never a dull moment! This was one of those “once in a lifetime” opportunities to engage with a government and a people we hear of all the time but know strikingly little about.

My Favorite Course:

My favorite course has been the Criminal Law Research Group (CLRG) course with Professor Robinson. Our primary project involved codifying the criminal laws of the Maldivian Islands. It has been an exercise in helping construct legal apparatus for a nation whose values are different from the United States and find ways to blend indigenous Maldivian sentiments, Islamic law and modern codification together into one cohesive law. The reason this course is phenomenal is that it allows you to apply materials you have previously learned into a substantive project. We not only studied the law, but researched and discussed it among ourselves to better understand the nuances of criminal law and the implications of drafting a country’s criminal code. Few law students have the chance to say they were part of a team that drafted laws another country will adopt and visited foreign countries to consult with clients – all while still in Law School.

What Three Words or Phrases Would You Use to Describe Penn Law?

Friendly, Challenging and Accommodating

Penn Law is Known for Its Collegiality. Why Should That Be Important to Law Students?

Collegiality will determine your first year success more than any other factor. It is one thing to be engaged in serious legal study of an intense amount of material, but to do this without the collegiality that Penn law offers would be insanity! Collegiality at Penn Law means students volunteering outlines to you and coming up to you after class to see if you needed notes for a missed class. It means classmates not stressing you about grades, but wondering whether you were going to play Intra-mural football that day. Finally, it means your colleagues taking the time to help you with your success even as they strive for their own.

What Do You Wish You Had Known Before Starting Law School?

I wish I had known that the first year is the most pivotal year in your law school experience. Everything afterwards merely compliments what occurs in those 9 months.

My Favorite Philadelphia Moment:

The Eid Festival that was organized for young Muslim kids in Philadelphia to celebrate the annual Muslim holiday of Eid ul-Adha. It was a great chance to engage with the larger West Philadelphia community. Philadelphia has one of the largest Muslim populations in the country, comprised of everything from African Americans and Moroccans, to Pakistanis and Sudanese. The occasion was hosted by the undergraduate Muslim Students Association. Many of Philadelphia’s Muslim kids come from poor households and this was a chance to participate in a day that many of them will remember as particularly special. Being a practicing Muslim, it was also the opportunity to interact with the larger Muslim family in Philadelphia.

What I'm Most Proud Of:

Being chosen as 1L speaker for the annual Malcolm X Human Rights Lecture sponsored by the United Law Students of Color Council. This was an opportunity to spend a few minutes sharing my thoughts prior to the keynote address by Prof. Adrien Wing on Palestine. Malcolm X is someone I have always admired and his words continue to inspire me daily. The fact that such a lecture exists at Penn Law and the fact that I was honored with the opportunity to speak was a fabulous experience. It allowed me to pay homage to someone who had paved the way for minorities like myself at a time when legal education was something few of us could aspire to. It was also a chance to highlight the life of a person who upheld the very foundation of any law school: justice.

My Extracurricular Activities at Penn Law:

President, Muslim Law Students Association (MLSA); President, Arab Law Students Society (ALSS); Executive Chair (2005) Vice-President (2004), United Law Students of Color Council (ULSCC); CSR Representative, American Bar Association; Member, South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA); Member, Black Law Students Association (BLSA)

My Favorite Place or Activity on the University Campus:

Without a doubt it has to be Sa’ads Halal Restaurant on Walnut Street — the BEST Middle Eastern food you will have hands down! He has everything from falafels and shwermas to cheesesteaks and burgers. The man is a genius in the kitchen. Philadelphia’s hidden treasure is its amazing restaurants. They range from high end to hole in the walls, little bistros to jazz clubs.

Based on Your Experience Visiting Other Schools, How is Penn Law Different?

Penn is different for many reasons. First, the atmosphere is really collegial. People take school seriously, but are invested in helping each other succeed. There is a big difference between being friendly and being a community. People here are not just polite, they are genuinely nice. Second, Philadelphia is a perfect balance between the fast pace of New York and the overly politicized hobnobbing of Washington, DC. Third, it is truly interdisciplinary in its approach. I am a dual degree student doing a PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. Other programs exist for students interested in pursuing studies at Wharton, Public Policy, Bioethics, etc. Fourth, the faculty is amazing and engaging. They are far more accessible than one would imagine despite all the variety of things they are involved in.

What type of atmosphere is it for Muslim Students?

Since Muslims are some of the smallest minorities in the legal profession, many people are afraid that the profession itself has inherent biases against them. That’s just not true at Penn. The Philadelphia community is made of a large percentage of Muslims, including such names as Kenny Gamble. Penn Law itself has graduated people like Khaled Abou El Fadl and Azizah Al-Hibri, both leading legal scholars. The Muslim Law Students Association was formed a few years ago and actively puts on programs, accommodates students’ religious needs and is involved in social activism. It has Muslims of all religious beliefs and many non-Muslim members as well. Additionally, the Law School is actively working to increase its number of Muslim and Arab students.

How difficult is it to be involved in extra-curricular activities during your first year of law school?

I won’t lie, it’s not easy. Your first year will involve a lot of work and a lot of focusing. It may be that you need to narrow your involvement your first semester and then increase it afterwards. Most organizations understand this and cater to your needs. Hence, groups facilitate serving your interests, but utilizing your time in the most efficient manner possible.

How important is the law school name?

A law school’s name matters, even though I don’t always like to admit it. I don’t plan to pursue a long-term career in corporate America, but I realize that Penn’s name is going to help open doors for me in a legal world that is often quite elitist. That is just the nature of the beast. It’s not simply the Penn Law name either — it’s combination of the Law school’s reputation and the University’s reputation as a whole. If you plan to work overseas like I do, it helps that people have heard of places like Wharton and who know that Penn is an Ivy League institution. My goal is to service the people less privileged than myself or who have not had the opportunities I have. Hence, thinking strategically, I know that going to a prestigious law school will only make achieving my aspirations all the more easier.

I asked this question of a leading international human rights lawyer who told quite simply: “You need to be a well-rounded lawyer.” Penn Law has great areas of specialization in Constitutional and Criminal law, but what matters most is the fact that you will attain a great well-rounded foundation at Penn. That is the key. Penn offers courses in everything, but I would not overload in any one area. Law school is for you to hone your legal skills so that you can tackle any area of law. Coming into law school one often knows little of what certain areas of law entail. Entering the legal world only helps understand these areas even better. Practical experience is going to be the manner in which specialization takes place because it harnesses the tools one has learned in law school and applies them. The fact that Penn Law has Criminal Research Groups and various Clinics affords the student an opportunity to apply his/her knowledge. Your summer can also help give you this practical experience. My first year summer, I worked for the Legal Resources Centre in Pretoria, South Africa on issues of environmental justice, land rights and worker’s compensation.

Previous