From Forced Silence to Legal Advocacy: Somaia Sharif Zada’s Story of Resilience

Somaia Sharif Zada ’25 practiced law in Afghanistan for nearly a decade before fleeing oppression in her home country. Now she is pursuing a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at Albany Law School with aspirations of practicing law in the United States. After fleeing the Taliban regime, she hopes to continue advocating for women and immigrants in the U.S. legal system.

Growing up under Taliban rule, Sharif Zada was forbidden from basic human rights, including the right to attend school. "I had to go to a secret [all-girls] private home school, because at that time, before 2001, the Taliban were in control, so girls were not allowed to go to schools or universities," she said. 

"I attended law school with the hope of inspiring change in Afghanistan, where women are denied basic human rights, such as education, work, travel, shopping, and even visiting doctors without male guardians, due to manipulated beliefs and wrong Taliban made laws," she said. "This brings back a memory of when the Taliban discovered our hidden school. They attacked and burned it down. Today, history is repeating itself, and this must change once and for all."

The violence and oppression women faced under the Taliban were constant. However, when the U.S. military invaded Afghanistan in 2001 and overthrew the Taliban regime, Sharif Zada’s life changed. "The school doors got reopened, the universities for women in Afghanistan were restored," she said. "I got the chance to start public school, and that was a great day in every girl's life in Afghanistan."

She attended law school in Afghanistan and began working in 2013 to advocate for women, particularly in domestic violence and family law cases, which she describes as "really traumatizing, really horrible cases." She spent years making a difference in women’s lives, but everything changed again in 2021 when the Taliban regained control.

"When the Taliban came back, all the legal professionals were hiding because they were all dead men and women walking. Most of the legal professionals received similar emails from the U.S. Embassy, the ones who were famous enough and highly at risk [of being killed], and were evacuated," she said. 

Sharif Zada recalled the harrowing story of a judge who was tortured by the Taliban: "They badly tortured her asking which finger she used to sign a judgment."

With the Taliban back in power, Sharif Zada fled Afghanistan, leaving behind all of her belongings. "It felt like dying," she said of her departure. "You start a career, work for years, advocating and building everything piece by piece, only to lose it all in a blink of an eye and start over."

When she arrived in the U.S., she could not practice law. But Sharif Zada was not alone—there were people fighting for her and other Afghan legal professionals. Thanks to a resolution led by The Hon. Madeline Singas, Associate Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, titled Resolution in Support of Assisting the Resettlement of Afghanistan’s Women Judges and Other Vulnerable Justice System Refugees, Sharif Zada was able to begin to put the pieces of her legal career back together.

"[Through the resolution] I was able to work with the New York Supreme Court. The first time I entered the New York Supreme Court, I just thought that this is the day that I’m going to restart," she said.

Sharif Zada also benefited from the American Bar Association Afghan Legal Professionals Scholarship & Mentoring Pilot Program, which partners with U.S. law schools to provide scholarships for Afghan legal professionals. "We have a moral imperative to assist Afghan legal professionals who sought to uphold democracy and the rule of law alongside the U.S.," Mike Byowitz, the chair of the ABA International Law Section’s Afghan Legal Professionals Resettlement Task Force, said in an American Bar Association press release.

Through this program, Sharif Zada applied to Albany Law School and was accepted. She is now working to complete her LL.M. in order to sit for the New York State Bar exam and continue her career as an advocate.

Sharif Zada was honored with the Epiq Women Award for Justice and Advocacy in the U.S. for her unwavering commitment to advancing women's rights and addressing social injustices. This prestigious recognition underscores her profound impact and dedication to creating positive change.

"I so appreciate everything. Albany Law and the support that professors and staff are providing is a dream for many young girls and boys," she said.

Sharif Zada’s experiences in Afghanistan drive her desire to advocate against discrimination, particularly in immigration law. “I feel that [in the U.S.] the immigrant and the people who were not born here have a lot of difficulties. Comparing to the same area in Afghanistan, the most demand I think in [the U.S.] is to work against discrimination,” she said.

Reflecting on her journey, Sharif Zada is grateful for her opportunities in the U.S. After enduring war, and discrimination in Afghanistan, she believes it's important to appreciate the freedoms and opportunities available in the U.S. "[Thanksgiving] is a really a great tradition. I really like it because it’s a reminder of the things that you have. I would like to remind you, the U.S. residents who have never experienced war, that much violence, discrimination, and that much poverty that a lot of countries do [to be grateful for what you have],” she said.

Despite the immense challenges she faced, Sharif Zada remains determined to use her legal career to fight for the rights of others. With the support of Albany Law and the ABA, she is taking the next step toward fulfilling her dream of being a legal advocate for those in need.