The inaugural AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event will be a showcase of the most diverse and impactful young professionals in various fields of work across the Philadelphia region.

At the virtual event, taking place August 20, 2020, Akbar Hossain, 29, will be one of the 40 honorees. He is a Judicial Law Clerk at the Federal District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.   

As part of the lead-up to the event, AL DÍA asked each of the 40 honorees the same three questions and collected their responses. 

Here are Akbar Hossain's responses:

As an attorney, I interact daily with some of the smartest, wealthiest, and most powerful elites of society. I am also an immigrant and first generation college graduate who grew up in a community of concentrated poverty, underfunded schools, and few opportunities to succeed. My continued challenge in my professional journey revolves around merging these two vastly different worlds.

My proudest achievement has been the founding of Penn Law First Generation Professional Group (FGP). FGP is extremely important when it comes to the development of any professional career, especially a legal one. FGP is designed to stress a common experience among professionals based on a shared educational experience and economic status. FGP seeks to foster community and assist its members in navigating the legal field and various professional development opportunities designed to access social capital.

A civil society is the ultimate realization of the true promise of America – one that my father aspired to and one where my story is not an outlier, but a reality that is possible for all. Such a society calls for the dismantling of the current system and a recognition of three philosophies: (1) economic opportunities for low-income communities; (2) access and visibility for underprivileged children; and (3) bridging of cultural gaps.

To register for the upcoming AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event, click here. 

For more information about the event, reach out to [email protected].

For sponsorship opportunities, contact [email protected].