Great Graduate: Rahim Mahmoud

Photo courtesy of Rahim Mahmoud

Guided by faith, family and lessons rooted in his father’s West African upbringing, Rahim Mahmoud balanced law school, fatherhood and community service while building a life devoted to purpose and impact.

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Before he ran the ramps at Seton Hall School of Law, before the expungement clinics with the Black Law Students Association, before the overnight shifts with two babies and the notes of encouragement from his wife, weekend J.D. graduate Rahim Mahmoud’s story was shaped by lessons passed down from his father, who grew up on a farm in West Africa. 

“Don’t focus on the entire land,” his father would say. “Focus on each plant.” 

Those lessons stayed with Rahim from his childhood in the Zongo—traveler’s camp—communities of West Africa and guided him throughout his journey: stay focused, stay consistent, and handle each responsibility one step at a time. 

That wisdom on the farm was a seed planted years ago that has sprouted and carried him

through law school, a full-time job, and the work of raising a beautiful family. And if you’ve spent time around the school, you would have seen the result: a man running the ramps, embracing every person that he sees, and somehow balancing it all with grace and ease.  

Ask him how he does it and he’ll tell you the truth. “Honestly, for me it all starts with prayer and staying spiritually grounded. My family is a constant source of motivation, and the passion I have for my goals keeps me moving forward every day.”
 
Most people remember the moment they decided to go to law school. Rahim remembers deciding not to let anyone talk him out of it. “I’ve wanted to go since third grade,” he said. “But it became real when I left my job as a financial analyst at a major pharmaceutical company. A lot of people thought I was crazy, but I applied to a master’s program, applied to a job with more flexibility, and quietly studied for the LSAT.” Then COVID hit, and the uncertainty of life became impossible to ignore. “I realized how short life is and made a promise to pursue everything I envisioned–without hesitation.”

There were moments over these four years when that promise was tested. The hardest came when Rahim lost his uncle, Aaron Muhammad, who served as a mentor, a close friend and a trusted confidant. “Right before I started law school I visited him at his farm in Georgia, and he gave me a sense of motivation and clarity I still carry today.” 

Losing him was devastating. But in that loss Rahim’s faith and family served as grounding anchors that carried him through his law school journey. Before exams his wife often slips him notes from the Quran to remind him why. And Rahim now has two bundles of joy at home as tangible reminders of his promise and his why. In this last month he and his wife welcomed a baby girl into the world, much to the joy of her now big sister. “My children are a huge source of motivation,” he says. “When I get home and see that warmth and love, and they don’t want me to leave the next day, it reminds me that I have to make every second count.”  

His mentors have also carried him through. United States District Court Judge Michael Shipp, attorney Fruqan Mouzan, and the Legal Education Opportunity (LEO) Program lead by Prof. Melanie Perez-Vellios have all contributed to his success. 

Post graduation, Rahim will be clerking for Assignment Judge Terrence Cook in Burlington County.  
If you ask Rahim for the single best thing he’s done in the last four years at Seton Hall Law, something that no transcript will show, the answer will come easily. “Helping to build the ShopTalks Expungement Program on Branford Place.”
 
“Watching people’s reactions—the relief, the tears, the gratitude—made it all feel real. It felt like everything came full circle.” Rahim was also completing a master’s degree and helping care for his family at the same time. None of that will show on a transcript, “but it shows who I’m striving to be. Someone committed to my community who is driven to make a meaningful impact.” 

What would he tell past Rahim who just got admitted? “Embrace the uncertainty,” he says. “Law school is going to challenge you in ways you can’t predict. Your path may look different than what you originally imagined, and that’s okay.” He also charges incoming students with the imperative to take care of their mental and physical health, and to always believe in yourself. “You’re not supposed to know everything; that’s why you’re here. Seek out mentorship and sponsorship, stay humble enough to learn, and be confident enough to grow.” 

When he walks across the stage in late May, one sentence will remain on his mind. 
“All Praises Belong to God, the Most High.” 

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Shanelle Tate is a rising 3L at Seton Hall Law and incoming co-president of the Black Law Students Association. She also serves as a senior editor of the Journal of Legislation and Public Policy and is a member of the Interscholastic Moot Court Board. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, cooking and highlighting outstanding graduating students.