Insia Zaidi earned a Public Interest + Social Justice Certificate and received pro bono honors with the highest distinction during law school. She was actively involved in the Women of Color Collective and served as a pro bono staff member for the Reentry Advocacy Program, Youth Advocacy Program, and FosterEd. Insia also worked with UC Berkeley’s Basic Needs Center to help students access food, housing, and financial aid. She gained further experience in public interest law through a capital defense internship in Jackson, Mississippi, supporting clients on death row. She also served as a legal consultant at Columbia Law’s Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL).
Before attending law school, Insia worked as a foreign exchange sales trader at UBS. Prior to that, she worked closely with incarcerated people at Rikers Island to help them attain their GED, taught 8th grade math in Compton, California with Teach for America, and served on the Disciplinary Review Board at her school placement.