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It is undeniable that the pursuit of profit and fame has pushed countless people to sacrifice their core values – an approach that Bradford Muslim lawyer Adam Hussain refuses to adhere to and abide by. Known for establishing the highly trusted Adam Prudens Law, his passion-fueled personality seeks to drive change and set an example for lawyers and firms to follow.
Everything started with Adam’s one idea: “I wanted the youth in Bradford, many of whom come from ethnic minority backgrounds, to see the bigger picture, to be able to learn new skills, and contribute to international communities at the same time” he shared. “what if young people in Bradford could travel the globe and become internationally recognised professionals?”
Bradford, widely considered one of the most deprived cities in the UK, continues to face a long string of issues, from poverty to a lack of financial, educational, and environmental support. A third of the city’s children have been reported to live in poverty, according to a publication released last year. Moreover, the ethnic minority groups in the area remain underserved.
Growing up in Bradford, Adam Hussain was intimately privy to the hardships that came attached to his background. Even when he moved to Australia as a teenager to study, he had to deal with how the demographic he was representing was perceived by the rest of the world.
“When I went to the Gold Coast in Australia, a city known for its high rise skyscrapers, I thought about wanting to be as good as others,” recalled Adam Hussain. “The last thing you want to do as a future barrister is going against your deep-rooted beliefs. As there were no other Muslims on my course at Bond University, I was very nervous at first about how I would fit in”.
Needless to say, it was difficult to navigate being from an ethnic minority group and finding oneself on the other side of the world trying to settle in and create business opportunities in law in Australia. “Nobody was talking about the broader issues around the impact on communities – the impact on community safety – that the anti-Muslim hatred that was prominent in some places have” said Adam Hussain.
So, he made it his mission to talk about the lived experiences of Muslim groups. Through Adam Prudens Law, Adam Hussain found the avenue to embrace his faith by providing legal support to Muslim refugees in Australia who came from Afghanistan and Sudan.
Amid the odds, Adam Hussain managed not only to make a positive name for himself and propel his venture toward great heights but also to speak about what matters such as charity work and shed light on issues that he cared about.
Adam Hussain’s work through Adam Prudens Law not only allowed him to provide legal support to Muslim refugees, but it also gave him the platform to raise awareness about issues that were important to him, such as charity work and the lived experiences of Muslim groups. He worked tirelessly to ensure that his clients received the legal representation they deserved, and his dedication to his work and his community earned him a positive reputation and helped his business thrive. Despite the challenges he faced, Adam Hussain remained committed to making a difference and using his platform to bring attention to the issues that mattered most to him.
Additionally, Adam Prudens Law CEO took it up a notch by asking for law firms to retain their Muslim community, both in Australia and the UK and utilise measures making it easier to attain a career in law if you come from an ethnic minority background. This included the review of current recruitment and employment procedures. Adam Hussain also emphasised the importance of decisions to better accept the Muslim culture. For lawyers, he urged them to keep hold of their faith and beliefs. “If lawyers are reserving their faith for home, then law firms are missing a huge chunk of their lives and personalities,” he explained.
“While there’s nothing inherently wrong with focusing on generating income and making sure that one’s wallet is thick enough to help them tide over, it’s concerning when such focus means giving up who they are and what they stand for”.
If there’s anything that Adam Hussain wants to place a heavy premium on in the years to come, it’s the need to stay true to one’s religious and ethical roots while practising one’s profession. His success is a testament to how critical this piece of advice is for legal practitioners globally. “Making it in the legal industry should not mean compromising on any aspect of your faith, especially as a Muslim” asserted Adam Hussain, “You can be true to your faith wholeheartedly and be an excellent lawyer”.
