Disruptors
Gef’s 30 Under 30 2024 Winners: Q&A with Aiza Khan
Ten categories. Thirty young visionaries making their mark on the Isle of Man. Introducing the 2024 #Gef30Under30 winners: the next generation of our island’s leaders.
Meet the Capital International Group Disruptors, who say ‘why play by the rules when you can create your own?’ These young stars don’t just follow the status quo, they create the world they want to live in.
What is your name and age?
Aiza Khan, age 29.
Job title or role in the community?
I am currently a trainee advocate at M&P Legal, and a Samaritans volunteer.
How did you start your career or role in the community?
Ironically, while I was studying law I didn’t actually consider becoming a lawyer. It was only during the pandemic when I had much more time to consider what I wanted to do career-wise when I decided to qualify as an advocate.
I started off working as a parliamentary intern at the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald and spent my annual leave attending work placements at multiple law firms on the island. Eventually I was offered a paralegal role at M&P Legal, and since then I’ve progressed on to the role of a trainee advocate. I was also studying outside my work hours to get the legal qualifications I needed to qualify. Recently I found out that I passed the Manx Bar exams so I’m hoping that’s the end of my all-nighter study sessions!
In one sentence, summarise your journey so far as a young and successful person under 30.
It has been the best of times, it has been the worst of times, but I’m grateful for it all nonetheless.
Tell us about your business/industry, is there something interesting about it that most people wouldn’t expect?
Other than the cliché “law is nothing like Suits in real life!” (or my preferred show, How to Get Away with Murder), the role of a lawyer is much broader than just knowing the law and regurgitating it to clients. I’d actually say it has less to do with the law and more to do with people skills and how to handle legal problems in a sensitive but professional manner. Litigation in particular is also quite strategic in practice, so you’ll find advocates carry out a lot of tactical planning in advance which has been interesting to see.
Have you experienced any hurdles in your career or community efforts and if so, how did you overcome them?
As I didn’t know anybody in the legal field I had to work quite hard to build any semblance of a personal legal network from scratch and gain work experience, made even tougher when I was starting off due to the pandemic. It shouldn’t have to be this challenging for those who don’t have direct connections to legal professionals to get into the law, and it was also why I felt like I had to double down and work harder to ‘prove’ myself.
I am particularly grateful to Mr Jonathan King and Mr Roger Phillips, the current and former Clerks of Tynwald, who, during my first work placement at Tynwald, organised a meeting with me and candidly asked about my career journey and what I wanted to do in the future. They voluntarily took the time to understand what I needed, and were willing to amplify my efforts to get my foot in the door by reaching out to legal professionals in their network for me to meet that I otherwise wouldn’t have known how to approach . It has had a lasting impact on my career progression, and I think it’s incredibly valuable for those in positions of authority or have large networks to help individuals like myself just starting off to get closer to where they want to be.
Tell us about why you think you won in the Disruptors category?
I never would’ve thought I’d win a category like this, but when I think about it, I can see why that’s the case. Entering the legal field as an Irish-Pakistani Muslim woman is in itself disruptive because this isn’t the norm in the Isle of Man.
Coming from a rich cultural background with distinct clothing, language and cuisine, much of this influences the kind of person I am and the way I conduct myself which can make me appear like an ‘outsider’ looking in. My religion also guides much of my behaviour; I don’t drink alcohol, which from my experience in the legal field so far is relatively uncommon and I find that many work-related socials involves an aspect that revolves around drinking. I also fast during Ramadan and celebrate Eid which has been a lonely experience as one of the only, if not the only, Muslims in the law on the island.
But these are important aspects of my identity which I have learnt over time not to feel embarrassed or ashamed about, even if they make me different or unable to fit in as seamlessly with others. By embodying who I am, this calls into question what a person in the legal field ‘should’ be or look like and I believe it’s for the better. This form of disrupting the status quo can lead to a lot of positive change and I hope to be a small part of that.
Who are your role models, either on-island or off, in your sector or outside of it?
Personally I don’t have any ‘role models’ as I tend to admire different characteristics in different people for me to aspire to become.
Having said that, I deeply respect my dad and hold him in high regard. He has worked incredibly hard over the years, including being the first in his family to move away from Pakistan to Europe and raising a family with my mum away from everything they were familiar with and loved. He’s my go-to person whenever I need advice, and as stoic as he is, he has always been my biggest silent cheerleader in the background and has supported me with every major decision I have made. I wouldn’t be who or where I am without him.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
I’ve not received this directly, but I once came across advice along the lines of how one should never decide not to do something because of how long it might take since the time is going to pass anyway. Even if it could take you years to get somewhere or accomplish something, you shouldn’t let the amount of time it will take stop you because those years will pass by regardless of whether you do the thing or not. It can be really difficult to commit to something for long periods of time in this day and age where instant gratification is so readily available, but often the things that take longer to achieve are far more rewarding.
What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in your career?
I wish I knew the importance of having mentors. Studying a law degree and hoping to excel based on that alone is not enough. Having people in your corner to guide you on the nuances of being a lawyer is incredibly important; I believe it’s the difference between being a good advocate and a great advocate.
That sort of guidance can only come from those more experienced who are willing to lower the ladder to help those less accomplished to follow in their footsteps. I’m very grateful towards each person that has gone out of their way to guide and lift me up over the years, and I hope to pay it forward in the future too.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m eagerly awaiting until I am called to the Manx Bar early next year before I can officially call myself an advocate, after which my aim is to specialise in family law. Now that I’ve finished the last of my exams I’m also hoping to get back into a few hobbies I enjoy a lot but haven’t had much time as of late to put into them, like photography.
What changes do you hope to see in your sector or community in the coming years?
I would love to see more ethnic minorities pursuing legal careers in the island if that’s what they aspire to do. There shouldn’t be any barriers that prevents any person of colour who wants to enter the law from doing so just because they cannot see much representation in the field.
What, for you, are the benefits of staying on or moving back to the island for young people under 30?
My pace of life has slowed down ever since I’ve come back to the island, which has been an invited change especially since my early 20s was quite chaotic (but also a lot of fun!). Here I’ve had the time and space to reflect on my earlier years and how I’d like to see myself going forward. I’ve also been able to achieve many of my personal goals in a very short time frame and yet still have enough time to spare to be with my family and friends and do things that I enjoy. Being surrounded by nature and living just a few minutes away from the sea also doesn’t hurt!
What does being a Gef’s 30 Under 30 winner mean to you?
It truly means a lot. I’d like to believe that a younger Aiza would been proud of seeing me now, and I can only hope that this encourages young women of colour on the island to continue pursuing their dreams and aspirations regardless of whether they see others like them doing the same thing or not.
I’d like to say a huge thank you to the team at Gef, Media Isle of Man and the 30 Under 30 judging panel who selected me as a winner amongst over 150 other well-accomplished individuals on the island. I’ve definitely been feeling a bit of imposter syndrome but I’m really grateful for having been selected.
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