Furqan Mohammed was a guest on the Purpose, Passion & Profession (P3) Podcast, hosted by his friend and fellow attorney Junaid Afeef. The show is built for law students and others exploring a career in law, and the episode follows Furqan’s path from aspiring high school teacher to founder of a community-based injury practice.
Sharing my story is about encouraging others to find purpose in their work and to use their skills to uplift those around them.
Furqan Mohammed
What Furqan Talked About
- Finding law by accident. Furqan planned to become a high school teacher and spent about five years coaching cross country at his alma mater. He said shadowing a lawyer, the parent of one of his runners, is what convinced him to go to law school, because no two days or clients are ever the same.
- Working through law school. He kept working at the high school while attending Loyola University Chicago School of Law in the part-time program, graduating in December 2011.
- BigLaw, then his own firm. After five years as a commercial litigator at Perkins Coie, he left on May 1, 2017 to open his own firm. He described doing pro bono work for Chicago taxi drivers facing medallion loans they could not repay. In his telling, no firm he asked would take their cases, which is what pushed him to open a firm that could.
- From taxi work to injury law. He said word of mouth from those drivers led to the personal injury work that, by his estimate, now makes up about 98% of his practice. Along the way, his advocacy for drivers was covered by the New York Times and other outlets.
- Building a name, not just ads. He explained why he brands his practice around his own name rather than trying to outspend large firms on “lawyer near me” searches.
- Technology in a modern practice. His team uses case management software, AI-assisted demand drafting, and a texting app so clients can reach someone quickly instead of waiting days for a call back.
- Advice for students. Stay open to opportunities you did not plan for, remember that the people you work with matter more than any particular practice area, and remember that pro bono work is always available, whatever your day job.
- Community as the reward. Fundraisers, sponsorships, and mentoring are where he finds much of his fulfillment, and he brings his son along so the next generation sees that the work is about helping people.
Why It Matters
Furqan has met law students at Muslim law student conferences who are eager to connect with practicing attorneys. Conversations like this one give them a shortcut: the lessons that are hard to learn from a textbook.
Thank you again, Junaid Afeef, for highlighting the intersection of profession and passion, and for all the great work you do for our Muslim community.
Furqan Mohammed
If you are a student or young lawyer with questions about a career in law, you can connect with Furqan on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. More of his speaking and mentoring is collected in the community.