(RNS) — Fadwa Hammoud made historical past this week when she grew to become the primary Muslim Arab American lady to argue a case earlier than the U.S. Supreme Court docket.
“Once we speak concerning the Supreme Court docket bar, it’s a mirror trying down on the whole authorized occupation,” Hammoud mentioned in an interview final week, “We collectively lose when our Supreme Court docket bar isn’t as various as our nation.”
Hammoud’s look was to argue within the case of Brown v. Davenport. The case issues the 2007 conviction of Ervine Davenport for homicide in Michigan. Davenport was shackled during his trial however, no purpose for him being shackled was listed within the court docket information. His attorneys say his shackling prejudiced the jury towards him.
RELATED: Zahid Quraishi confirmed as first Muslim federal decide
Fadwa Hammoud. Courtesy picture
Hammoud’s profession has been certainly one of historic firsts. She grew to become the primary Arab American Muslim solicitor basic in 2019, when Lawyer Common Dana Nessel appointed Michigan’s twelfth solicitor basic. She moved to Michigan from Lebanon at age 11, ultimately graduating from Fordson Excessive College in Dearborn. The varsity can be noteworthy for being a public faculty with a majority-Muslim inhabitants. A 2011 NPR report famous that 90% of the varsity’s inhabitants was Muslim. Robert Saleh, who grew to become the NFL’s first Muslim head coach earlier this yr, can be an alumnus of the varsity. Hammoud graduated from the College of Michigan, Dearborn, and later graduated from the Wayne State College Regulation College. After holding a United States District Court docket clerkship, she held quite a few roles as a prosecuting legal professional in Michigan’s Wayne County.
RELATED: Robert Saleh is the NFL’s first Muslim head coach
Hammoud’s look on the Supreme Court docket is certainly one of a number of vital firsts for Muslims within the American authorized system in current months. In June, Zahid Quraishi grew to become the primary presidentially appointed Muslim American decide to a federal court docket. The New Jersey-born former army veteran additionally holds the excellence of being the primary individual of Asian American heritage to take a seat on the federal bench in New Jersey.
Harvard Regulation Evaluate elected its first Muslim president, Hassaan Shahawy. Within the place, the Los Angeles-born Egyptian American follows the distinguished footsteps of a number of Supreme Court docket judges and one former president of the USA, Barack Obama.