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Zarinah Nadir, Esq. – Attorney and Educator

Zarinah Nadir, Esq. – Attorney and Educator

  • Zarinah Nadir, Esq. – Attorney and Educator

Zarinah Nadir, Esq. – Attorney and Educator

Introduction

In this episode of the Treaded Path podcast, host Salman Hasan speaks with Zarinah Nadir, a dynamic attorney, educator, and best-selling author of “Legally Savvy.” She is the Director of Student Engagement at her alma mater, Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Her advocacy includes juvenile law, civil rights, and navigating Islamic family law within the U.S. legal system. She is also a seasoned community organizer, a former board member of the Islamic Social Services Association (ISSA) USA, and co-instructor for the “Before the Nika” course on choosing a life partner and having a healthy marriage. (View the full interview on YouTube).

Personal Journey

  • Early Influences and Education: Initially inspired to become a doctor, Zarinah’s love for languages, especially Spanish, led her to major in Spanish in college, with the aspiration to be a diplomat or professor. A pivotal moment was September 11th during her senior year. As vice president of the Muslim Student Association, she saw community members being questioned by the FBI and decided to learn “the language of the law” to be a “legal translator” for her community.

  • Role of Islamic Faith in Career Choices: Her faith has been a major guiding factor, reinforcing the principle that Muslims must speak for justice and be useful to society. Her Islamic upbringing taught her to stand up for everyone, not just people of her own faith. This belief is reflected in her work as a public defender for assigned clients, regardless of their background. Her faith also grounds her as a Black Muslim woman in a profession where she faces intersecting biases.

  • Challenges Faced as a Muslim Professional: She acknowledges the realities of racism, sexism, and Islamophobia in the legal profession. As a “Black Muslim woman in America,” she is aware of biases but relies on her faith to keep her grounded, knowing her ultimate judge is Allah. She deliberately shows up professionally to outweigh any prejudgments.

  • Key Turning Points and Decisions: The key turning point was the post-9/11 environment, which made her realize the urgent need for Muslims to understand the law and their rights. This decision to pivot from a career in diplomacy/education to law was a direct result of seeing her community’s vulnerability.

Industry Deep Dive

  • Current Role and Responsibilities: As Director of Student Engagement at ASU Law, Zarinah nurtures the next generation of attorneys. This role allows her to combine her experiences as a practicing attorney, her work in access to justice, and her passion for mentoring and educating individuals about their rights.

  • Corporate Ethics Discussion: The main industry challenge discussed is access. The legal profession is “gatekept,” with the super wealthy using lawyers for all life events, while most people only seek legal help in dire circumstances.

  • How Muslim Professionals Can Navigate Ethical Dilemmas: The discussion focuses on being proactive and educated. Muslim professionals should stay grounded in their faith, understand that the law is around them, and use legal knowledge to protect their religious understanding within the U.S. legal system. They should also learn to codify their faith practices legally.

Resources and Advice Segment

  • Essential Resources for Aspiring Professionals: The path to law school requires a bachelor’s degree, the LSAT or JD Next exam, and a strong application that tells your story. She recommends attending law fairs listed on lsac.org. For the public, she wrote “Legally Savvy” to make legal information accessible.

  • Mentorship Opportunities: She is open to giving tips to those interested in law and is happy to be reached out to.

  • Organizations Supporting Muslim Professionals: She encourages volunteering with civil rights and family justice organizations and donating to them to support their work.

  • Practical Advice for Industry Newcomers: A key mistake young professionals make is becoming too enthralled with the law and losing sight of the rest of the world. She advises keeping friends from outside the legal profession and maintaining social connections.

Accountability Focus

  • Analysis of Human Rights Violations or War Crimes Connections: This topic is not directly addressed, though she speaks broadly about injustices in the world and America’s relationships with other countries.

  • Ways to Advocate for Corporate Accountability: She recommends getting involved politically in your local community, attending district meetings, and educating yourself on candidates’ platforms. She also emphasizes that advocacy is an obligation for Muslims.

  • Alternative Ethical Options Within the Industry: The discussion suggests that even non-lawyers can advocate for justice. Professionals can also be more mindful of who they are praying for and ensure their prayers include people beyond their immediate community.

Closing Reflections

  • Final advice from guest: She encourages anyone thinking about a career in law to pursue it, emphasizing it’s never too late to go to law school. She urges the community to expose youth to more career paths, not just the traditional ones like medicine and engineering. A JD is a versatile degree for many roles, including executive director of a nonprofit.

  • Contact Information to reach guest speaker: Zarinah can be reached on Instagram at Zarinah Nadir ESQ.

  • Call to action for listeners: Listeners are encouraged to get legally savvy by buying her book. For those interested in preparing for marriage, they can sign up for marriage prep bootcamps at nikah-prep.com and the “Before the Nikah” course at dranisa.com/beforethenikah.  Prospective law students should visit lsac.org.