Originally posted on the Rutgers Camden website
Photo by Jbeauty Photography
At any commencement ceremony, it is not difficult to find smiling graduates who are justifiably proud of speaking about their hopes and dreams for the future. But Class of 2024 graduate Basma Qazi, who recently earned dual J.D. and M.S.W. degrees from Rutgers–Camden, has progressed far beyond hopes and dreams: She is fully present in enacting a plan that, ultimately, will see her founding a nonprofit agency to serve clients who require legal and social services.
Qazi, who graduated in 2014 from Rutgers–New Brunswick as a double major in communications and English with a creative writing certificate in poetry, took time after her undergraduate years to sow harvestable seeds for her long-term future. Initially, Qazi pursued a successful career in the fast-paced world of corporate project management operations and later landed a similar role with a charter school. These career choices provided her with valuable experience and helped her identify how her growing skills and strengths could be synthesized into a unique business model.
“I knew I wanted to be of service to others,” Qazi said. “I took time after my undergraduate degree to evaluate where I could be of most use. My operations experiences give me a competitive advantage in creating a successful business, and—being a realist—I also wanted some time to pay down my student loans.
“I decided on the dual degree because there is a critical overlap between the law and social work,” Qazi added. “People who need legal services may also require clinical mental health services for underlying trauma or stress. People who need social and mental health services can get tangled in a web of policies and regulations that don’t serve them. Combining the two services under one roof makes sense. In the long run, I hope to create an agency that does both.”
The next step for Qazi in achieving her goal is passing the New York bar exam. She will then undertake a one-year clerkship with a judge who sits in family court, which will strengthen for Qazi the link between the law and social services. She will also fulfill the hours required for her clinical social work license. “I am looking forward to meeting with clients in outpatient mental health settings,” she said. “Through this experience, I will be able to better understand people’s needs at the intersection between law and social work.”
Qazi feels her academic experiences have provided a solid foundation for achieving her goals. “I know this is a long-term plan,” she said. “But I am taking steps to make sure the project will succeed.”
Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Qazi, at the age of five, settled with her family in the New York tri-state area. She believes her experience of immigration—and of being Muslim— has given her a perspective on what it is like to navigate social and cultural issues. Qazi has lived experience of change because her family moved frequently during her formative years. “A fun fact about me is I went to 10 different schools from pre-K to 12th grade,” she said.
Even though her Rutgers–Camden experience was academically rigorous, Qazi said she would encourage potential students to apply to the dual degree program.
“The admissions process was fairly straightforward,” Qazi said. “You have to apply to both programs separately, but you can start in either the law school—as I did—or the School of Social Work. I spoke with deans from both schools for advice before applying, and they were supportive throughout my time in the program.”
Qazi added that the social work program was small enough that she knew everyone in her cohort and she found this friendly experience very satisfying.
“However, I did spend a longer time at the law school, so I was able to be very involved not only with the academics. The law school’s administration, faculty, and the alumni network are very engaged, and this meant I was able to explore different areas of the law while building a strong, supportive network.”
During law school, Qazi took on several leadership roles, serving as the diversity and inclusion representative for the Student Bar Association and as a student liaison for the South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey. She also planned a multi-organizational gala to honor Muslims and Asians in the legal community.
As Qazi builds her post-commencement future, she is willing to take the time necessary to secure the success of her commitment to found a non-profit agency. “It is my hope to make high-quality and culturally competent legal and social work services more accessible to underserved communities,” she said.
