Ep 167: From Immigrant Daughter to First Muslim Bar President: Soukaina Sourouri’s Story
Soukaina Sourouri is the first Muslim Arab American president of the Staten Island Women's Bar Association. Soukaina shares her remarkable story, from navigating cultural and language barriers as the daughter of Moroccan immigrants to her challenges and triumphs in law school and beyond. Despite difficulties with initial LSAT scores and the COVID-19 pandemic affecting her bar exam plans, Soukaina’s perseverance and support from her family enabled her to graduate debt-free and succeed professionally. Join us to learn more about her inspiring journey and her contributions as a leader in the legal community.
Meet Soukaina Sourouri
Soukaina Sourouri, Esq. is currently a solo practitioner managing her own general practice firm. Ms. Sourouri predominately focuses on Family Law in Richmond County. She is a member of the 18B Panel in Richmond County Family Court as well as a member of the Part 36 Attorneys for Children Panel. She is the former court attorney for Family Court Judge Janet L. McFarland. She graduated from CUNY Law School in 2020. While attending law school at night, she worked for the Law Office of Rosa Pannitto, P.C. After graduation, she worked for the law firm of Glenn Yost prior to becoming a court attorney. She currently serves as the President for the Staten Island’s Woman’s Bar Association. Ms. Sourouri is the association’s first Arab and first Muslim President. Ms. Sourouri is also a Member of the Richmond County Bar Association, Staten Island Trial Lawyers, and Columbian Lawyers of Brooklyn. Since 2017, she has been a volunteer at CUNY! Citizenship Now, assisting in legal screenings for green card holders applying for citizenship. Part of her goals are to continue to serve the Staten Island community.
Episode Highlights
Soukaina Sourouri is the first Muslim Arab American president of the Staten Island Women’s Bar Association and will also be speaking at the upcoming Break Into Law Conference.
Soukaina shares her background as the eldest daughter of Moroccan immigrants raised in Staten Island, New York. She discusses the challenges of growing up between two cultures, balancing her American life at school with her Arab life at home.
Her early experiences advocating for her parents, translating, and navigating cultural differences motivated her to pursue a legal career. She often acted as their advocate in various settings, from school meetings to government offices, which honed her skills and determination to become a lawyer.
Soukaina’s legal career evolved from an unpaid intern to a part-time receptionist, then to a full-time receptionist, secretary, and eventually a paralegal.
A significant part of Soukaina’s journey includes the unwavering support and practical advice from her parents, especially her father, who provided reassurance and perspective during her moments of self-doubt.
Soukaina discusses her advocacy efforts during the pandemic to push for diploma privilege, which would allow law graduates to be licensed without taking the bar exam. She expresses her belief that the bar exam is a standardized test that does not necessarily measure one’s ability to be a competent lawyer.
Soukaina emphasizes the importance of resilience and determination, encouraging others by highlighting that lawyers can come from diverse backgrounds and that representation matters. She is excited to share more about her journey at the upcoming conference.
Tweetable Quotes
“As the oldest child of immigrant parents, especially the oldest girl, there is just a different level of responsibility and commitment you have to your family. And I think that was really the driving force of, ‘What am I going to do for a living?’ And it’s like I love advocating for people. ”