fbpx
7 Jun 2023

Laila Ikram: Arizona’s first hijabi judge to swear an oath on the Quran

Laila Ikram: Arizona’s first hijabi judge to swear an oath on the Quran

Share

Invitation
Outside of writing, Zarina loves art. Mastering in fine art, Zarina has always dreamed to create her own comic. She’s keen on contributing to the pool of representation for south Asians and hopes to create her own Pakistani female superhero one day.

Laila Ikram: Arizona’s first hijabi judge to swear an oath on the Quran

Laila Ikram was sworn in as a judge pro tempore by Judge Enrique Medina Ochoa, the justice of the peace.

Ikram has hit a few milestones, as she becomes the first Muslim judge in US history to wear a hijab on the bench. She’s also the first judge to swear oath of office on a Quran.

Laila’s journey in law

Prior to her being appointed as a judge, Ikram worked as a criminal defence attorney for the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office.

Earlier this year, after being nominated, Ikram had a series of interviews and presentations to other judges, who then approved her.

Enrique Medina Ochoa promoted numerous minority lawyers to serve as judges pro tempore as part of his responsibility as an elected peace judge to increase diversity on the bench.

Laila wants to be an important part of the Muslim community that seeks justice. 

Pro tempore judges are judges who fill in things when full-time judges cannot. Becoming a pro-tem judge is the first leap to eventually becoming a full-time judge.

“My whole goal with being an attorney is that I want to serve the community. Justice Courts are the highest volume courts in the county. Most people don’t have multimillion-dollar claims and issues, Justice Court is where most people resolve their issues. I feel like I have the ability to help people quickly and in a just way.”

On Laila’s achievement, friends took to social media to congratulate her on her profound achievement.

Share this post: