On Saturday, August 29, 2026, Furqan Mohammed spoke on “Pathway to Law: A Complete Guide for Parents & Students,” a careers in law panel at the Muslim Education Center in Morton Grove. The session was organized by the MCC Family Engagement Committee and Roots of Sunnah for Muslim high school and college students and the parents guiding them.

It has been incredibly refreshing to see our mosques create space not only for religious and spiritual growth, but also for conversations about careers, education, mentorship, and practical guidance to help our students achieve their goals.
Furqan Mohammed

What the Panel Covered

The panelists spoke about what a career in law actually looks like, what students should know before they commit to law school, and the things practicing attorneys wish someone had told them earlier. The conversation ranged across:

• What lawyers really do. How the day-to-day work differs across litigation, transactional practice, government, and in-house roles, and how little of it resembles what students see on television.
• Preparing in undergrad. Why no single major is required, how grades and the LSAT drive admissions, and how work experience and writing ability carry weight.
• The admissions process. Application timelines, personal statements, letters of recommendation, and how to compare schools on cost, scholarships, and employment outcomes rather than rank alone.
• The financial picture. What law school costs, how student debt shapes the first decade of a career, and why families should talk about it early.
• What we wish we had known. That law is a craft learned on the job, that networking and mentorship matter as much as transcripts, and that building a practice means learning the business of law as well as the law itself.
• Practical next steps. Internships, informational interviews, courtroom visits, and finding mentors who will answer questions honestly.

Why It Matters

Make no mistake about this: when our students succeed, our entire community grows stronger. Education, professional development, and access to mentorship are critical to building an empowered community and preparing the next generation to lead.
Furqan Mohammed

Furqan thanked the MCC Family Engagement Committee for organizing the conversation, and his fellow panelists for an engaging and thoughtful discussion.

For families in Morton Grove, Skokie, Niles, and Northbrook, an afternoon like this is often the first chance to put those questions to a practicing attorney with both students and parents in the same room. It followed the first annual Muslim Pre-Law Conference in Lombard the same morning.