Meet our members: Naeema Sajid
Joining a movement like Look Up and Beyond, we each have our own “why”. In this Meet Our Members series, our members share their own motivations for joining LUAB, and why they have chosen to dedicate themselves to achieving better gender balance in the legal profession and beyond. Next, meet our Look Up and Beyond founder, Naeema Yaqoob Sajid.
Meet Naeema Yaqoob Sajid
Current role/position in law
Non-practicing solicitor. Formerly a partner in a large, national law firm
Where in Scotland are you based?
Edinburgh
One sentence that captures who you are (personally or professionally)
I’m a solicitor by profession, a change maker by choice, and a campaigner by passion.
Naeema’s Journey in Law
What inspired you to pursue a career in law?
Others telling me I shouldn’t, or couldn’t, do it.
What challenges have you faced as a woman in the legal profession?
Making time and space to be the real me.
What has been one of your proudest moments so far in your career?
Setting up Diversity+
Why Look Up and Beyond?
What inspired you to co-found Look Up and Beyond?
I wanted to support women to have a genuinely sustainable and healthy career in law. To help change cultures and structures to not only advance, but also retain female talent.
What does advancing female talent in Scottish law mean to you personally?
Given that the majority of solicitors in Scotland are women, it means better securing the future of the profession.
What do you hope LUAB will achieve for women in law?
I hope it supports women to achieve a better, more balanced and healthier career.
What advice would you give to young women entering the profession today?
Slow down to enjoy the journey. You will undoubtedly meet your targets if you go fast, but you’ll miss the key moments of personal growth and reward, which make your career more meaningful.
Beyond the legal profession
What do you do outside of law that keeps you grounded or inspired?
This will sound mundane, but I set myself personal daily chores, such as cooking, gardening, mending clothes, clearing out a cupboard and washing my car. It not only helps to keep me grounded, it also reinforces basic work ethics and means I have something to tick off my to-do list. For inspiration, I like to talk to and learn from the aspiring solicitors of tomorrow.
A fun fact or little-known detail about you.
I played football at school in 5th year, to avoid playing hockey with the girls, who would never pick me for their team, hence leaving me sitting on the bench.
What’s one “look up and beyond” dream you have for yourself or for women in law?
That one day soon, groups like this will not be needed, because we have created safer and healthier workplaces where women thrive and succeed as themselves.