IN January this year I had the honour of being named a Hot 100 Lawyer by national industry magazine The Lawyer, one of the most prestigious accolades in the legal world.
Was I proud and happy? Of course I was. I’d been recognised by my peers for my work in helping the cricketer Azeem Rafiq successfully settle his employment tribunal after revealing the racist abuse he’d suffered when playing for Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
But the important thing for me was it gave me another platform to support the work that I feel deeply passionately about – fighting racism and discrimination, and showing young people from minority and disadvantaged communities that you can succeed in life, whatever your background.
As a Muslim girl growing up in a working-class family of nine in Bradford, I was well aware of the hurdles that young girls from BAME backgrounds face. When I graduated in law from the University of Huddersfield in 1997, I was the first female member of my family to do so. I was fortunate to have wonderful parents who supported me all the way. They never wanted me to miss out on opportunities that enhanced my learning, no matter how difficult the financial impact was.
I’m now proud to be part of Chadwick Lawrence, a firm that embraces diversity and celebrates my Muslim faith. But when I chose insolvency as my specialism in the late 1990s I was the only Muslim woman in the country practising in this male-dominated area of law. Imposter syndrome hit many times. I had to learn to override the voices in my head that said I could never make a name for myself in this world and I had to work three times as hard to be recognised.
I will always be grateful to a mentor from my early years – Steven Frieze, a Senior Partner at Brooke North Solicitors, a District Judge. An Orthodox Jew, Steven helped me believe that I could become the best insolvency lawyer without having to compromise on my belief, culture or identity to achieve it.
The support throughout my life has made me the professional woman that I am today. However, I know not everyone is so fortunate, and this is what drives me to give back to the community.
When I reached out to help Azeem Rafiq it wasn’t simply an effort to tackle embedded racism. Being subjected to deep discrimination, whether it is subconscious or intentional, can have a powerful and lasting negative impact on mental health.
In the Muslim community in particular, there is huge stigma around men admitting to feeling anxious or depressed. We need to address that problem and let men know that it’s good to talk and share experiences without shame.
But that is of no value if we don’t shine a light on institutional racism and work together to stamp it out. I truly believe it is the responsibility of each of us when we’re blessed to be in fortunate positions, that we don’t forget our roots and give back to society.
I’ve been mentoring schoolchildren as part of The Mosaic Charity, an initiative created by The Prince’s Trust, since 2015. We give practical support and inspire young people, who might otherwise not get a chance in life, to achieve their full potential.
The One in A Million charity and Free School is especially close to my heart as it’s in my home city. It has improved the life chances, health and self-esteem of so many young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and I’m proud to be a corporate partner and ambassador. And more recently I have been involved in Humanitarian work to help the people of Ukraine, co-ordinating aid shipments from Yorkshire to Poland.
I’m aware it can be difficult for young girls from BAME backgrounds to achieve success, because perceptions, subconscious bias and prejudices are still prevalent but I always just say to them ‘keep going, don’t give up’.
So much can be achieved at grassroots level. With volunteering you only need to give whatever time you can – every little helps – and it is hugely rewarding for individuals and society as a whole when we all pull together. I saw this firsthand when I helped with the Bradford Foundation Trust Covid work and for the Marcus Rashford Free School Meals Initiative in lockdown. We volunteers came from all walks of life, but differences disappear when you’re part of a team and we all gained a huge sense of satisfaction from ‘doing our bit’.
One person I admire greatly is Jacqui Drake, the Bradford woman aiming to raise £1 million for equipment and home comforts at Leeds Cancer Centre, where she receives care after being treated for stage four cancer. Chadwick Lawrence are sponsoring the Jacqui’s Million Charity Gala Ball in June and we’ve been blown away by Jacqui’s strength and determination. I tell myself that if Jacqui can overcome such huge personal challenges to give back to society, then so can I.
I love my professional life but it’s what I do for the Bradford community that shaped me – that is the real measure of my success.
l Asma Iqbal is a Partner at Chadwick Lawrence. Call (01274) 381900 or email AsmaIqbal@chadlaw.co.uk
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