Texas Lawyer profiled Haynes and Boone, LLP Partner Sakina Rasheed Foster following her recent selection as one of the state’s “On the Rise” lawyers.

Here is an excerpt:

What has been your proudest career moment and your biggest hurdle?

Proudest Career Moment: My proudest career moment was becoming a partner at my firm. Like many associates, it was a goal I had been striving towards for years and it took the support and guidance of amazing mentors and sponsors along the way.

Biggest Hurdle: I was the first lawyer in my family and, when I entered the profession, there were not many attorneys in my North Texas Asian-American community. I distinctly remember my parents being worried when I announced that I wanted to go to law school. They were concerned about whether I would be treated fairly in a field that did not have many women or people of color in leadership positions. My father, an immigrant Indian physician in a small East Texas town, had faced his own professional obstacles as a minority, and he didn’t want me to have the same uphill battle. Thankfully, I’ve been fortunate to find nothing but support and encouragement from my colleagues and mentors since I started practicing law.

What is the top quality that you’ve used to succeed in the profession?

It would be two qualities – diligence and resilience. I realized early on that I may not be the smartest lawyer in the room – but if I was the hardest working and most prepared, I would achieve the best results. Resilience for me has also been key. We will all get knocked down and fail from time to time. But, I’ve learned that the moment after a failure is critical. If I can pick myself up, stop beating myself up, reflect and learn from the experience, then that failure can actually be an opportunity to continue to grow.

Who is your favorite mentor and why?

I’ve had several important mentors during my career that have been critical – but the one who always stands out is my mentor and fellow law firm partner, Paul Amiel. Paul started out as my supervisor at the firm and by watching him firsthand I learned how an excellent lawyer serves clients and analytically and practically solves problems. But, Paul also invested time and energy to mentor me from the very beginning – and as a young associate who is trying to find their way in their career, that can be life-changing. Paul encouraged me early on to think about my career path and, once I figured out where I wanted it to go, helped me find the tools to get me there. Over the years, he’s given me frank feedback when I needed to course-correct and has gone to bat for me when I needed an advocate. His mentorship has shown me how important mentors can be in an associate’s career trajectory and, as a young partner at our firm, I try to emulate that with the associates I mentor.

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