Azmeena Hussain is a lawyer whose life and career have been fuelled by a commitment to social justice

Azmeena is a partner at law firm Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and, as the manager of their Workplace injuries division, defends the rights of workers to feel safe on the job, all day, every day. I’m intrigued to hear how her life has been shaped by the desire to champion and support those who need it, and how her childhood instilled in her a fierce determination to join the law.

Interview by Maria O’Dwyer. Photography by Mia McDonald.

You’re the first Muslim woman to be made partner at Maurice Blackburn. How does it feel to be an agent of change?

Geez – I haven’t ever thought of myself as that! Australia has a long way to go in levelling the playing field for both women and people of colour in enabling them to reach positions of influence, whether in media, government, or professional life. I do think a shift is happening within the legal profession and it’s something we should celebrate. But as with any cultural change, there’s always going to be resistance and it’s there that we all play an important role in redefining the status quo. All in all, I am looking forward to the day that I’m no longer thought of as the ‘Muslim Woman Lawyer’ and cultural diversity is no longer a big deal.

I’ve also been fortunate to have some terrific mentors who have allowed me to stand on their shoulders and achieve great things. I owe great thanks to them, such as Steve Walsh (former Chairman of Maurice Blackburn), a pioneer and an exceptional leader who has had a huge influence on my personal and professional life.

You wanted to become a lawyer from a very young age. Why?

Growing up, mum had a difficult journey accessing legal representation when she had to wade through the aftermath of a divorce. I grew up witnessing first-hand how difficult it can be to navigate our legal system without expert guidance. I would witness how these lawyers would allay my mother’s fears and anxiety and how my mother felt reassured that the matters of her family were being dealt with by people she could trust. I also vividly remember the ultimate relief my mother felt when she met people who were able to assist her legally and put her mind at ease. Later on in life, I found out these people were lawyers. 

From that point on, I wanted to be like one of those lawyers that helped my mum. I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since I was about three or four years of age. It’s the only career I’ve ever considered. 

I attended a private Catholic girl’s school in Glen Iris on a partial scholarship and my mum worked two jobs to pay the difference. I then completed my law degree, and thereafter, was admitted to practice at the Supreme Court. You can only image what my mum was like the day of my admission ceremony!

You’ve spoken before about your mother as an inspiring force. How has she influenced on you, personally and professionally? 

Mum has been a coach in every facet of my life. On the sporting field, I remember her telling me: “See the girl who is coming first? When she takes a step, you take a step.” It was simple advice and I managed to nab two state gold medal cross country titles. They’re currently on proud display in her lounge room, right next to my brother’s (comedian Nazeem Hussain) participation awards for athletics!

In both life and career, she’s been an example of leadership, strength and positivity. To this day, I know when things get tough we can call her and trust that she will be a pillar of strength. She has always been an inspiration to me, my brother and my older sister. She showed us resilience by persevering through unimaginable adversity. Her lessons to us were mostly taught by her character and behaviour rather than by her words.

From a young age, mum immersed us in volunteering and giving back to the community. We were raised engendered with a strong sense of giving back. In our primary school years, mum would take us to the local ‘meals on wheels’ and aged care facilities on weekends and during school holidays. I remember Nazeem and I reading books with the elderly and serving plates of food. That sense of giving back to community was something we grew up with.

You’re committed to social justice. What inspires you to keep fighting?

In the words of former Victorian Premier Joan Kirner, ‘everyone should have an equal chance of happiness.’ And this resonates to the core of my existence!

We all have an important role to play in ensuring equality of opportunity. No individual should walk this earth without a platform to be heard and contribute to society; this is a basic human right that, unfortunately, not all of us have. Fighting for this is probably the easiest reason to get out of bed and come to work each day. 

The legal profession is often called a fraternity – male dominated and also very white. Was this a problem for you when you started out? Do you think it’s improving?

When I started working in law, it was clear the profession lacked diversity. A lot has changed in the past decade. Law firms, like other industries, still have a long way to go in looking like the clientele they seek to represent. The promotion of the industry needs to look more female, and more culturally diverse if we are serious about attracting legal minds from across the community. 

Organisations need to be serious about their commitment to redefining the status quo. And that must start at the leadership level. From there, it’s about setting targets and working towards them, ensuring they infiltrate every aspect of the working world. This will start an important conversation that will lead to cultural change. At Maurice Blackburn, I have been very fortunate in being able to bring my whole self to work. I don’t need to hide aspects of my cultural or religious identities. It’s 2019, women at work should not feel they need to conform to a particular image or speak in a certain way. 

It’s not easy to assert yourself in traditional industries. That was certainly the case for me within the legal industry when I first started and was applying for legal roles. I am very grateful to be part of the Maurice Blackburn family. The firm is seriously a pioneer insofar as implementing tangible targets and policies to ensure our workplace actually walks the walk. It’s been nice to see other firms following that trend, or speaking to us about ways to improve their culture.

You manage Workplace injuries at Maurice Blackburn. Are you surprised that, in 2019, there is still a big gap between the rights of individual workers and what corporations are willing to provide? Do you see this changing?

Employers continue to cut corners and act as though they’re above the law. Whilst we have come a long way in preserving the rights of the working class, the Union movement is increasingly under attack. Australian workers are once again fighting for the right to bargain and a safe place to work. Big business continues to chip away at the rights of working people and access to justice has become increasingly volatile. Workers and our most vulnerable deserve better, and it is important we continue to hold big business to account.

What’s next for you?

This year I clock a decade at Maurice Blackburn, and what a rewarding journey it’s been!  I hope to use the next decade to build the footprint and presence of diverse women in professional roles and preserve the rights of working people.  I would also like to play an active role in mentoring and developing aspiring lawyers and do my part in trying to make it easier for others, in the same way my mentors have for me.