Hidden Gems: Meet Nadia Igram of Hijrah Law Group & Divas and Doulas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nadia Igram.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I don’t know why, but I always wanted to be a lawyer growing up–after I gave up my dream of being a ballerina, that is. I had support and encouragement that eventually turned into expectation as I grew up, so I couldn’t have changed my mind even if I wanted to. But no matter what I did, I knew I wanted to help people. I received my BA from the University of Iowa, my JD from Wayne State University, and, at various junctures in my career, have obtained licenses to practice law in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas. I worked for Iowa Legal Aid, first as an AmeriCorp volunteer then as a staff attorney, and then went contract/solo/volunteer after I had my first child and moved to a different city devoid of family and connections.

But none of that prepared me for the completely unexpected shift of becoming a doula.

After the birth of my third child–my first experience with a midwife, which was life-changing–I had an epiphany during my postpartum massage: just like I always believed legal services should be available to everyone (which made me committed to closing the justice gap), I came to realize and believe that every birthing person should have access to prenatal, birth, and postpartum support. I decided during that massage that I would combine my skills and work as a family law attorney with doula work. Both are advocates, though I discovered in pretty different ways, and both strive to help their clients achieve as close-to-ideal an outcome as possible.

So now I am both attorney and doula. I use a sliding-scale fee system for both and do what I can to serve marginalized populations. My ultimate goals are justice, accessibility and equity in everything I do. I am the daughter and granddaughter of immigrants and have experienced and witnessed my share of discrimination and injustice, so more than anything, it is my commitment to these fundamental goals that pushes me and has brought me to where I am today.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth ride, but the challenges along the way have only made me better at what I do. 9/11 happened when I was 15 and a sophomore in high school. As a Muslim Arab American I had experienced and seen discrimination before then, but that day really became a turning point in how I was perceived by others and how my family, friends, and others who looked and believed like me were treated. There were many times that I had to deal with and correct misinformation and discrimination along the way–in school, in my work, and among strangers. There have been many times when I wanted to give up and stop fighting when I felt like having to explain myself and justify my existence was too burdensome. But I also always knew how fortunate I was in so many ways and that I couldn’t be selfish and just give up. So I kept pushing. I KEEP pushing.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Hijrah Law Group & Divas and Doulas?
Along with raising my three kids, I own and operate two businesses: my law practice and my doula practice. My law practice, Hijrah Law Group LLC, is the brainchild of one of my best friends and myself. I practice mostly family law, with some estate planning and other litigation issues.

My doula practice, Divas and Doulas, has had to take a bit of a back seat as my legal work has grown at an unexpected rate, but I still do birth work when I can. I also serve on the board of Uzazi Village and Kansas City nonprofit doula and birth-related services organization.

Both businesses offer an income and family size based sliding-scale fee. I come from legal aid work (I continue to volunteer for Legal Aid of Western Missouri) so I know there is a large clientele that either makes too much for legal aid but not enough for a private firm attorney, or that doesn’t qualify for legal aid because of their type of case. I also know that doulas can be expensive and are often not covered by health insurance, yet doulas dramatically decrease the occurrence of interventions and negative birth outcomes. Both my businesses work towards making these services available to those who fall within that gap.

I also serve on the boards and leadership teams of various nonprofits, such as Uzazi Village, InnovateHER KC, and The Community Impact Fund. I had a stint as a co-host on a show for local nonprofit radio station One Kansas City Radio called “Four Women for Conversations that Matter”, and am currently a regular guest host on the “An Answer for Everything” podcast.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
I have had so much love and support along the way, I am eternally grateful to everyone who helped me and continues to support me. This list could be so long, so I’ll just name a few:

1. My parents, Hassan and Salma Igram. They raised me to help others and provided so much love and support, and continue to do so.

2. My husband, Nien-tse Sui, who is so patient with me and gives me the space and time to figure out how I can do all the things I want to do–and who has been so supportive when I have had to leave in the middle of the night for a birth.

3. My sister, Shadia Igram, who always has my back and taught me to be patient with myself.

4. My part-time business partner and bestie, Fatima Mohammadi, who came up with the law practice name (and other business concepts in the works). She became one of my first friends when we moved from Iowa to Kansas City in 2016 and has been the catalyst in some amazing connections I’ve made and opportunities I’ve had along the way.

5. My incredibly wise and brilliant law school sister, Jyarland Daniels, who has helped keep me mentally afloat and whose wisdom always helps me see things more clearly.

6. And of course, Toni Gates, the incredibly talented Toni Gates, who thinks I am way cooler than I actually am and who recommended me to VoyageKC

Pricing:

• Law practice: sliding scale fee system
• Birth doula service: base price of $750, but also sliding scale for those who in need

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
• Website: www.divasanddoulas.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivasandDoulas