The 24-year-old Orlando native worked at Legal Services of Greater Miami through the Tenants' Rights Clinic and served as a judicial intern at the U.S. District Court in Orlando, Florida. She also worked as a law clerk at the law firm of Cole, Scott & Kissane in Miami.
"My time as a law clerk for the Tenants' Rights Clinic was great," she said. "Having my own clients for the first time was a great responsibility but insanely fulfilling. I had multiple case files to manage and had the opportunity to speak in front of the Miami-Dade Commissioners' Public Hearing regarding public housing in an effort to advocate for one of my clients.I gained immense skills that I know I will take with me for the rest of my career.
"And, I would say taking litigation skills was one of the best experiences during my law school experience. It was my first opportunity to have a hands-on experience in a trial setting that went beyond what I learned in the classroom. It also made my transition as a 2L law clerk more seamless, as I had a better understanding of pre-trial and trial procedure," she said.
Shaikh was also deeply involved in Miami Law's student organizations, serving as secretary of the Student Bar Association, vice president of the Charles C. Papy Moot Court Board in charge of the Gaubatz competition, and secretary of the South/West Asian and North African Law Student Association.
She also received a Dean's Merit Scholarship, a CALI Award in class action litigation, and the John F. Evans Memorial Litigation Skills Scholarship. She was a quarterfinalist at the Evans Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition.
Shaikh received her undergraduate degree in political science from George Washington University, where she graduated cum laude.
"I knew from a young age that I wanted to go to law school with the ultimate goal of being an advocate for others," she said. "I decided on Miami Law for the opportunity to return to Florida after college to help those in my community. Over the past three years I believe I've grown as both an advocate and as an individual."
After graduating cum laude and sitting for the bar exam, first-generation Pakistani American and the first in her family to attend law school will clerk for Federal Magistrate Judge Embry Kidd in Orlando.
Read more about Miami Law's Tenants' Rights Clinic
More on litigation skills at Miami Law
