Saad Sweilem

Attorney

Saad Sweilem is an attorney dedicated to representing and defending those who need it most in his community.

As a proud Muslim-American, his life was marked by the terrible tragedy of 9/11. He calls the moment and its aftermath “foundational.” It was here that he felt firsthand the sting of his community being underrepresented and being under-prepared for the ensuing post-9/11 challenges.

As a result, Saad made it a priority to champion the civil rights of marginalized individuals. For him, most just need help having their needs amplified.

“People talk about the voice of the voiceless, but I think everybody has a voice. I think our job is to help them find that voice, tell their story, and guide them through the complex legal system, which is really intimidating to people. Especially the more vulnerable and marginalized people who really find themselves needing our help the most,” Saad explained.

Before joining Adamson Ahdoot, Saad worked as a deputy public defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office. He also worked extensively to enrich his community with classes, training, and workshops, during his time with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), grassroots civil rights and advocacy group.

While there, Saad gained acclaim and national media recognition by bringing attention to the plight of a young family that had been separated due to the policies of that period’s administration.

Prior to his work in law, Saad earned his undergraduate degree from UC Davis. While obtaining his law degree from the University of California, Hastings, he sat on the board of MELSA, or Middle Eastern Law School Association.

He is an active member of the California State Bar and supports Bay Area teams like the Warriors and the 49ers in his free time.

AT ADAMSON AHDOOT SINCE:

• August 2023

AWARDS AND HONORS:

• Civil Rights Achievement Award – Cair – Sacramento Valley

INTERNSHIPS/EXTERNSHIPS:

• Office of the Public Defender – Legal Extern – San Francisco, CA
• Office of the Public Defender – Legal Extern – Santa Clara, CA

OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN:

• Arabic

VOLUNTEER WORK:

• Know Your Rights Workshop – Cair – Sacramento Valley

PUBLICATIONS:

• How 2-year-old American boy’s death exposed cruel waiver process of Trump’s Muslim ban – The Sacramento Bee
• Supreme Court Upholds Muslim Ban – Freedom’s Ring Radio Podcast