Pepperdine Caruso Law Congratulates Jade Husain
Pepperdine Caruso Law is delighted to congratulate its latest bell-ringer in celebration of post-graduate employment success, Jade Husain! Jade was joined in the joyful festivities by Dean Paul Caron, Professor Brittany Stringfellow-Otey, Professor Isai Cortez, Dean Shannon Phillips, Associate Dean Chalak Richards, Career Development Director Michelle Feinstein, members of the Administrative Offices and Deans' Suite, and Jade's close law school friends. Prior to ringing the bell, Jade thanked everyone in attendance, including all her classmates from Professor Chris Goodman's Racial Justice class, Professors Otey and Cortez, and Michelle Feinstein and Deans Caron, Richards, and Phillips for their long-time support throughout her years at Caruso Law.
Jade is a first generation high school and college graduate. She was born in Liverpool, England and immigrated to the United States when she was seven years old. In May of 2015, she graduated from the University of Arizona cum laude with a BA in Politics, Philosophy, Economics, and Law. During her undergraduate studies, she also worked as a volunteer for the Pima County Attorney's Office working on crime scenes for the Pima County Attorney Office's Victim Services Division. As an advocate in the field, she provided both on-scene crisis and legal counselling to surviving family members and victims of homicides, suicides, domestic violence, and natural deaths. It was during this time that Jade realized just how powerful the law was and how it was constantly changing peoples' lives. It was through her experience working in this capacity that Jade decided she wanted to pursue a legal education and become a lawyer. She graduated from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in December of 2021 and will be walking in graduation in May of 2022.
Following her graduation, Jade accepted a position with Wilshire Law Firm. During the 2020 Fall On-Campus Interview program, Jade interviewed remotely with Wilshire Law Firm for a class action law clerk position. During the interview, firm partner Justin Marquez noticed that she had recently competed in Pepperdine's Cipolla Closing Argument Competition and asked if she would perform a portion of her closing argument during the interview. Marquez then refered Jade to Wilshire Law Firm's CEO and founding attorney, Bobby Saadian. Jade was invited for a second interview with Bobby Saadian and was offered a summer clerkship. She then clerked for senior employment attorney Nicol Hajjar. Jade was inspired by Hajjar's integrity, professionalism, and her own story and was honored to accept post-graduate employment working at Wilshire Law Firm's Employment Law Section.
At Caruso Law, Jade considers the most meaningful and rewarding work she participated in was working with the legal clinics and being mentored by the clinical professors and lawyers. This is the work that truly makes her heart sing and brought the law to life outside of the classroom. Professors Otey and Cortez mentored and believed in Jade from the beginning and their support transformed her career as a law student. Professors Otey and Cortez taught her lessons that could not be learned in the classroom. During the pandemic in 2020, Jade clerked for Professor Otey's Legal Aid Clinic. In her last semester at Caruso Law, she enrolled in Professor Tanya Cooper's Restoration and Justice Clinic, providing legal services for clients of domestic violence and human trafficking. Jade considers this work to be the most rewarding because it is humbling to work with such powerful clients and use the law to advocate for such important populations. Additionally, in her last semester of law school, Jade enrolled in Professor Goodman's Racial Justice course and researched and presented "The Eugenic Effects of Mass Incarceration of Black Women" for Pepperdine Seaver College's Social Action and Justice Colloquium. She also enjoyed clerking as a certified law clerk for the Department of Justice in the Civil Licensing Section in Spring of 2021.
Jade would like to thank again everyone who attended her bell-ringing ceremony and those who are truly meaningful to her, including Professor Cortez, Professor Stringfellow-Otey, Professor Goodman, Michelle Feinstein, Dean Phillips, and Dean Richards, who have all contributed to her journey in such important ways. Professor and mediator Steven Paul also played a huge role in helping Jade realize her passion for employment law. Additionally, her classmates Eleezay Bokhari, Giuliana Colon-Roisenzvit, and Mackenzie Savage, who have been a huge source of inspiration and support. She would also like to thank Wilshire Law Firm, most notably, Justin Marquez for initially interviewing her and connecting her to Bobby Saadian, and also Nicol Hajjar for teaching and personally mentoring her and extending post-graduate employment. Finally, Jade would like to thank her grandmother, Olivia Owen-Griffiths for her unshakable faith in Jade and her dreams. Her grandmother has always demonstrated the power of resilience and has truly been an inspiration to Jade for her whole life.
Congratulations to Jade!
