Imdad Rahman, Law Student and Host of The Business of Justice

I’m the oldest of two. My parents came from Sylhet, Bangladesh with no education, no connections, no roadmap, and nothing to their name. They arrived in America completely lost, with a spare T-shirt in a bag and a dream to give their children a life they never had.

I was born in the Bronx, New York, and raised in Los Angeles, California after my family moved there when I was one year old. My upbringing was shaped by sacrifice. I grew up watching my dad’s calloused hands and my mom’s tired eyes, and I understood early what hard work really looked like. My parents worked day and night, often with very little in return, but they never stopped pushing forward. I still vividly remember them saying growing up, and even now, “You’re in America, anything is possible.” That belief stayed with me.

Outside the home, everyday interactions often felt like pop quizzes. I was usually the only Bangladeshi kid in my schools, constantly explaining who I was and where I came from. At times, I was picked on for it. But those experiences shaped me. They taught me how to read people, how to listen, and how to connect with anyone who has ever felt out of place or overlooked.

I went to Cal State Northridge, where I majored in Business Law and Real Estate. It was not a prestigious path, and I did not have connections, scholarships, or handouts waiting for me. What I did have was heart, grit, and the willingness to do something great. Every day I sit in class, it still feels like a dream. I catch myself thinking, “How did a guy like me end up here?” Today, I am a J.D. candidate at Southwestern Law School in the two-year accelerated SCALE program, and I am on track to sit for the California bar exam at 23 years old. I know this path comes with a price I have to pay every single day.

I was dead set on becoming a plaintiff lawyer in my first month of law school. One of our guest speakers was Arash Homampour, and hearing his story lit something in me. A few weeks later, I attended a CAALA law student event and heard BJ Abron, someone I deeply admire, and Minh Nguyen. After those moments, I was certain. This is the path for me.

I never saw myself representing corporations. I saw myself standing beside the everyday person like me walking the street, someone trying to be heard, trying to be seen, and trying to make it through life with dignity. I do not just want to understand my future clients. I want to be someone they can trust because I have lived a life closer to theirs than anything else.

I have not met any Bangladeshi lawyers yet, let alone a Bangladeshi plaintiff trial lawyer operating at a high level, and that reality drives me every day. I want to become that person, not just for myself, but for anyone who has ever felt like there was no one ahead of them to follow.

To me, being a lawyer is about more than cases or outcomes. It is about responsibility. I truly believe that being the mediator between one’s fear of today and hope for tomorrow is the greatest responsibility one can have. That is what this path means to me.