The Lawyer Profiles Raifa Rafiq as Part of Black History Month

Akin Gump investment management associate Raifa Rafiq has been profiled in The Lawyer as part of the publication’s observance of Black History Month in the United Kingdom. Rafiq spoke of how she became a lawyer, some of the challenges she faced as she embarked on her career and the issue of retention of Black lawyers.

Some highlights from Rafiq’s conversation with the publication include:

• “I come from a Black African family, if you are not a doctor, you’re a lawyer. If you’re not a lawyer you’re an engineer. It was what I felt was the best path for me and put my skills to work – I was involved in the debating society and loved a good argument/debate.”
• “In terms of challenges – I would say there are barriers to entry. I think a lot of working-class students, who are the first to go to university and are in schools that aren’t performing so well, face the biggest challenges.”
• “Retention is a major issue in the industry, especially for young Black women solicitors as a lot of the time you aren’t working with people that look like you and you don’t know if it is a place that you can occupy.”