Muslim in America

The death of a loved one reminds you of your own mortality, of your own limitations, of your own weaknesses. It reminds us to stop and reflect, to realize that this world is temporary, and to appreciate everyone we have in our lives. Above all else, death helps puts things in perspective, it helps you realize who really matters in your life and it really makes you reflect on your own life.

I have always been a very proud American. Though I am a first generation immigrant, I came to the United States at the age of two. The United States is everything I have ever known. I have not lived in another country that I can remember and thus I truly consider myself to be American. I define what it means to be American; I’m educated, I’m active in the community and I give back in charity when I can. I embody what it means to be an American. My desire to work for the x comes from my desire to serve my country.

Wrote this yesterday. Enjoy.

To whom it may concern,

Law students and lawyers have a stereotype of being super competitive, cut-throat type A personalities. I’m not really like that. I am an incredibly personable person who loves to talk about everything from sports to politics. While I enjoy the casual conversation, I know when to turn on the serious mode and do work. Reading through the job description, I think I would be a perfect fit for [firm omitted].

I don’t consider myself to be super formal; quite the contrary, I think often times people take themselves too seriously and need to relax a bit to enjoy life and their profession. Practicing law is a passion of mine, and while that may sound kind of cliché, it’s true. From when I was a child watching The Practice on TV, I knew I wanted to be an attorney; not for the money, but for the rush of doing substantive work.

Along with my passion for the law, I’m very involved in my local community and helping young folks be good people. I’m the social media team lead for Young Muslims, the largest locally focused Muslim youth organization in the United States. There are so many negative stereotypes out there about young Muslim males, and I want to be the example that destroys those stereotypes. I am just as American as apple pie (though I prefer my pies to be in pizza form) and hamburgers. I’m a die-hard Mets and Giants fan, and could play poker forever without getting tired.

If there’s one thing I would be if I wasn’t a lawyer, it would have to be a chef. I love cooking (and eating too), and it’s a great way to take your mind off a stressful day of law school. If there was one place I went for dinner in NYC it would have to be the gyro cart on 53rd and 6th. The cart represents one of the true essences of living in New York City – great food, cheap prices and a quality product. The cart on 53rd and 6th, or the “Gyro Guy,” is so embedded in the city that no matter what time you go, day or night, there is always a line for the food. Beyond the food, the memories of standing on line for food in the city, during rain, snow, summer heat, shows the commitment that people have for the food, and the overall experience of the place. Even beyond the commitment, the gyro cart has become a melting pot of sorts in New York. People from every walk of life, the executive who works in the buildings around it, to the cabby who is worried about getting a ticket stands in line; everyone, Black, White, Chinese, Pakistani, rich, poor, each equal for food.

I’m available immediately for an interview, and available May 15th to start.

I would be great with client intake or research. I’m a very personable person who has a very business oriented mind so I would be able to help clients with things they may not have thought of. I’m also great at logistics; the UPS commercial about the person who loves logistics – that’s me. I can manage a bunch of different things at the same time, as well as balance very complicated ideas in my mind at one.

I look forward to speaking to you about the possibility of working as a summer position at [firm omitted].