Wazhma Mojaddidi

Mojaddidi Law -- Sacramento

Wazhma Mojaddidi's busy practice led her to master the art of multitasking when simultaneous Zoom hearings are scheduled. "I can be remotely logged on to two proceedings at the same time," she said. "I let the deputies know I'm double booked. It's not preferred, but it's happening."

That's because the pandemic has boosted her client list dramatically. "I think a healthy marriage needs a little time apart. Now, I'm seeing increasing domestic violence cases and dissolution filings. I'm busier than ever and I've taken a new associate on to help and she's doing some of the simpler hearings. I'm still turning away 60-to-70% of calls. There are days when I have ten to 15 intakes on my desk."

Mojaddidi was born in Afghanistan; she was five in 1979 when her family made a midnight escape across the Pakistani border as Russian troops invaded. Her father, a British-trained economist, got the family to the U.S. They settled in Concord. Along with English, she speaks Pashto, Urdu, Farsi and French.

"I was brainwashed by my family to be a lawyer since middle school because I talked back so much and I always wanted the last word and I needed an explanation for every rule," she said. Two of her siblings are physicians; another is also a lawyer.

After law school, she set up her own general practice. An early case involved an Iranian man who wanted a Muslim attorney for his divorce and custody battle. "The other side tried to use my religion against me," she said. "And even though the case involved a complex interstate custody battle, I kicked butt. I walked out of court with a new confidence."

She practiced immigration law for a time. "Six or seven years ago, I began focusing on family law. I really like being in court a lot and the practice is so varied, so challenging." She's always loved math and said she wishes she'd majored in the subject. "In law, your analytical skills are so important." Her client list represents a broad demographic base, she said. "I get referrals from everywhere."

Her career took a dramatic turn in the post-9/11 era of terrorism claims against Muslims. She and a fellow McGeorge School of Law graduate agreed to defend alleged Lodi terrorists, Hamid Hayat and his father Umer Hayat. In 2006, Mojaddidi's client was convicted of providing material support to terrorists by attending a training camp in Pakistan. Sentenced to 24 years in prison, Hayat's lengthy appeal led to the government's dismissal of all charges in 2019 after Mojaddidi agreed with appellate counsel not to dispute ineffective assistance of counsel claims.

"I fell on my sword. I wanted to get him out of prison," she said. "Far from interfering with my career, I grew from it. My family and I are an American success story."

- John Roemer