“Water One Plant
and Soon There’s a Whole Garden”:
Turab Abbas on
Cultivating Connections
and Paying It Forward
Turab Abbas knows a thing or two about building connections. A second-year law student at the University of Houston Law Center, Abbas attributes his academic and personal success to the importance of networking and mentorship. These key elements have guided him to his current role as a dedicated law student and an inspiring bold future lawyer. Abbas is also a proud recipient of several prestigious law scholarships, including The Jeff and Jenifer Cody Scholarship for Opportunity, the University of Houston Law Center’s Dean Scholarship and the Norton Rose Fulbright LLP Diversity Scholarship.
“When successful lawyers invest in the law students, they, in turn, become successful lawyers and invest in more law students,” Abbas shared. “It’s like a garden — water one plant, and before you know it, there’s a whole garden. It just keeps growing.”
Abbas and his father, Malik Muhammad Ejaz Tahir, immigrated to the United States in 2017, embarking on their journey with a significant personal challenge: navigating the complexities of the immigration system. At just 17 years old, Abbas took the lead in assisting his father by filling out and filing most of the necessary immigration paperwork with the designated agencies, guiding them through the entire process. After a long and arduous journey, they successfully became U.S. residents. This rewarding experience ignited Abbas’ passion for immigration law.
Abbas’ academic path included studies at Klein Forest High School, where he completed his high schooling. He then attended the Honors College at Lone Star College to acquire his Honors Associates of Arts. As a sophomore at Lone Star, Abbas joined the office of the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee as an intern, where he interned for three years.
To serve the constituents of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, Abbas acted as a congressional liaison between them and several federal agencies, including the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of State.
Upon graduation from Lone Star, Abbas enrolled at the Honors College at the University of Houston and C. T. Bauer College of Business and earned an honors degree in business administration with a focus on Human Resource Management. While at Bauer, he joined the Pre-Law Pipeline Program, which provided him with essential LSAT preparation and networking opportunities, leading to an impactful internship at the UH Law Center Immigration Clinic. There, Abbas worked alongside the UH Law Center’s faculty to represent clients in various immigration matters, including asylum cases, T Visas, U Visas, writs of mandamus and court proceedings.
After attending a networking session, he received the UH Law Center Bridge Internship. Arranged for pre-1L students to gain practical experience in the legal field, the scholarship “was one of the most instrumental steps in my entire law school preparation journey,” Abbas said. “I spent three months at Jackson Walker, another great law firm where I learned the wide variety of law practice options.”
At Jackson Walker LLP, Abbas primarily worked with commercial litigators on a number of matters and shadowed transactional attorneys. Abbas’ interest in pursuing civil law stemmed from his Bridge Internship at Jackson Walker LLP.
His decision to attend the UH Law Center was influenced by the institution’s strong reputation and his deep connection to the city of Houston. The Jeff and Jenifer Cody Scholarship for Opportunity significantly alleviated his financial burden, allowing him to focus on his studies and career aspirations.
“When I learned the Cody Scholarship was so generous that it would cover one-third of my law school tuition, I was thrilled,” Abbas said.
“I googled Jeff Cody (J.D. ’90) and learned that he was a managing partner of the Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, so I emailed him, asking if we could meet virtually.”
“I’d set my sights on working for a law firm with good culture and great people, and here I was talking with the managing partner of one of the country’s greatest law firms, hearing him talk about his concern for people and culture. I could really envision myself working at [Norton Rose Fulbright].”
Abbas’ proactive approach led to a summer associate role at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, where he envisions building his career as a transactional lawyer. He gained valuable experience working with a diverse group of transactional lawyers. At the conclusion of his associateship, he was offered — and he enthusiastically accepted — the opportunity to return next summer.
Abbas is grateful to all who have given back to their alma mater in various ways, whether through donations to scholarships at the UH Law Center, regardless of the size of the gift, or by mentoring students at the Law Center. Now, Abbas actively mentors aspiring law students through the Pre-Law Pipeline Program and as a Legal Writing Fellow, recognizing the value of maintaining connections and supporting others in their journeys.
Abbas advises pre-law students to start building relationships early by reaching out to lawyers and requesting brief meetings to gain insight into the legal profession because “spoiler alert, it’s often quite different from what you see on television.” He emphasizes that “most lawyers enjoy discussing their work and are typically receptive to meeting requests.” In addition to networking, Abbas encourages pre-law students to focus on excelling in their undergraduate coursework and to put their best effort into preparing for the LSAT.
“I gained so much by having mentors,” he said. “I’m now a mentor for the Pre-Law Pipeline Program, and I do my best to respond to whoever reaches out to me . . . As soon as I’m established, I must pay it back — it’s a responsibility for law students to become successful and give back.”
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