“She was born to be a lawyer” is what my dad has been telling the world since I graduated from Algiers Law University in Algiers. He recalls how disciplined I was growing up in Algeria. For example, when my dad (who studied law and finance and became a banker) was in charge of me, he would take me to the university where he did some part-time teaching. I sat quietly, fascinated by his lectures, and never needed to entertain myself with the books I’d brought along.
I couldn’t agree more with my dad about my calling to join the legal profession. Instances of injustice have always affected me. I recall one instance when I was seven and, as I was leaving school at the day’s end, I saw a boy my age selling candy. I wondered why he hadn’t been in school. I kept hammering away at my parents to understand the situation and figure out how we could help him go to school.