Guiding With Compassion: Najmu Mohseen’s Family Law Approach

During this enlightening conversation with Caroline Germano, Modern Family Law’s Marketing & Communications Manager, Najmu Mohseen, a dedicated family lawyer at the firm’s Dallas office, shares her journey into family law, her empathetic approach to challenging cases, and her vision for making a positive impact on her clients’ lives. With a focus on compassion, understanding, and a commitment to helping families navigate complex legal landscapes, Najmu offers a unique perspective that sets her apart in the field.

Finding A Purpose In Family Law

Caroline: What inspired you to pursue a career in family law?

Najmu: I went to law school to help people, with a very vague and amorphous definition of what that might mean. After a few years in a different practice area, I decided to expand my scope and once I did that, I found that I enjoyed family law. It allowed me to positively contribute to people’s lives in what is undoubtedly a trying time in their lives. I always tell clients I cannot promise results, but I can promise to be empathetic and try to minimize the difficulty as much as possible.

Caroline: What attracted you to join Modern Family Law, and how does it align with your personal values as an attorney?

Najmu: When I was researching the firm, I liked that the website has a section about cost and a page about reducing bills. So many firms become money-making machines that they forget the human cost behind it. So, I appreciate that MFL values our clients as people and not just revenue. And since working here, I have seen that same attitude reflected from top to bottom.

Compassionate Advocacy: Najmu’s Approach To Client Care

Caroline: Family law often involves emotionally challenging situations. How do you approach your work with compassion and empathy for your clients?

Najmu: I remind myself not to judge people for their choices or their circumstances. I also remind myself that though for me, this may be my 5^th time that month in court or handling similar issues, for them, this is their one and hopefully only time in court.

Caroline: Can you share a time when your compassionate approach made a significant difference in a client’s life?

Najmu: Before transitioning to family law, I worked with inmates and detainees being denied religious accommodations. There was one client I worked with for a short time who by some opinions is a political prisoner for his involvement with the Black Panther Party and his outspoken writings about the treatment of African Americans in America. My organization sent him a birthday card, and because of his popularity, I knew we were not the only ones. But seeing his response prompted me to push an initiative to send holiday cards to all of our clients, but of importance to me, my institutionalized clients.  The number of responses I received telling me that it was the first card they received in years moved me and for months after, even the potential clients I eventually turned down still thanked me for those cards.

Developing Legal Strategies With Empathy & Pragmatism

Caroline:  How do you approach developing a legal strategy in a family law case, especially when the interests of the parties involved are deeply personal and often conflicting?

Najmu: I think being a good family lawyer requires you to think outside of the box and remember that there are consequences beyond trial. This may require unorthodox strategies, or sometimes, advising clients that moving forward is not going to produce the legal results they want and may produce real-world consequences, like alienating children or a co-parent.

Caroline: What qualities do you believe are essential for success in family law, and how do you cultivate these in your day-to-day work?

Najmu: The top three qualities I think are necessary to be a successful family law attorney are empathy, organization, and a total lack of embarrassment. The first two are kind of self-explanatory but when I talk about a lack of embarrassment, I mean that you need to be bold and advocate for your client even where it feels uncomfortable, or you feel like you may have the losing argument. As a lawyer, you have a lot of burden and power because your choices can make a major impact on someone’s life and so I think we owe it to try everything even if that means stepping beyond our comfort zones.

Embracing Growth & Making An Impact

Caroline: How do you see yourself contributing to the firm’s mission of providing high-quality family law services?

Najmu: I intend to continue to provide services to the best of my ability and make sure all my clients, or even those I consult with, feel heard. I know that lawyers are a luxury service that nobody wants, so I want my clients to know that with MFL and with me, their case matters just as much as if it were a loved one’s case.

Caroline: As a new attorney at MFL, how do you plan to continue growing both personally and professionally within the firm?

Najmu: So far, I have seen that the firm makes available to its attorney so many resources and opportunities for personal and professional growth. I fully plan to take advantage of those, as well as to lean on and leverage the knowledge of my colleagues.

Navigating The Future Of Family Law

Caroline:  What impact do you hope to make in the lives of your clients through your work at Modern Family Law?

Najmu: I hope that I can “win” every case for my clients. However, in family law, a win usually looks like some form of compromise because nobody wants to be here. Beyond the wins, though, I hope that my clients can say, win or lose, that I gave them sound advice and heard them at a time when they needed to be heard.

Caroline: Looking ahead, what do you see as the most significant trends or challenges in family law, and how do you plan to address them in your practice?

Najmu: I think the challenge with family law is that it is so often clouded with emotion that sometimes, people aren’t able to think clearly. So, sometimes, in my experience, it requires you to just say “yes, that is unfair” but then bring them back to “but the law is likely to do ______.” That way, if it does happen, it isn’t a surprise.

Conclusion

Najmu Mohseen’s dedication to her clients and her thoughtful approach to family law highlight her as a compassionate advocate in a challenging field. Through her work at Modern Family Law, she aims to not only secure the best possible outcomes for her clients but also ensure that they feel heard, supported, and valued throughout their legal journey. As she continues to grow with the firm, Najmu’s empathetic and strategic approach promises to make a lasting impact on the families she serves.