Raheela Ahsan (DC 2017)
By Kyle McClain
Raheela Ahsan graduated from 黑料正能量 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 2017. In 2018, she earned a Master of Science in Finance from the University of Texas, and in 2020, her J.D. from SMU Dedman School of Law.
Raheela’s career started more traditionally, but quickly pivoted toward entrepreneurship. She started her own law practice focused on startups and venture capital. Her professional journey reflects a commitment to innovation, interdisciplinary thinking, and charting a unique career path.
A Foundation in Economics
At Carnegie Mellon, Raheela studied economics with a focus on the social sciences and data-driven methods and projects. Rather than pursue a more traditional pre-law major like political science, history, or philosophy, she wanted to keep her career options open. Raheela made this choice with help from her “board of advisors”, a small group of close mentors that she frequently sought advice from. This included people like Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Pre-Law Advisor, Jay Devine; Carol Goldberg, a mentor from her economics major; and Mark Patterson, an associate teaching professor in the Social and Decision Sciences Department.
“We were able to create the perfect team to help guide me through my undergraduate education,” Raheela said.
This choice to pursue law through economics and the social sciences gave Raheela the chance to easily and quickly change direction if she ever discovered that a career in the law wasn’t the right fit for her.
A Non-Traditional Gap Year
Due to strategic semester planning and many AP courses counting for class credit, Raheela was able to graduate after just three years of undergrad. However, this meant that her junior year was more demanding than other years of her education, and she didn’t have the time or mental space to apply to law school immediately. Rather than push ahead with an LSAT score she wasn’t proud of, Raheela decided to pursue a one-year master’s degree in finance at the University of Texas. This would allow her time to strengthen her law school application, as well as double-down on her quantitative expertise with even greater exposure to business and economics.
While Raheela is happy with her decision, she wouldn’t recommend it.
“Being in the middle of one grad program while applying to a second was insanely difficult,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Raheela remembers her studies at the University of Texas fondly. Having already studied at a graduate school, she was much more prepared for the academic demands of law school than many of her peers. She used her year of study to focus on maintaining good study habits, hone her specialized passion for the law, and prepare an excellent law school application.
Law School Challenges
Though she was more prepared after her masters, she entered SMU Dedman School of Law as a first-generation law student. Without any family who had legal backgrounds, her first weeks in law school were disorienting.
“I didn’t understand how the system worked," Raheela explained. "Studying for law school felt like learning a foreign language.”
The most shocking revelation was when she learned the unique aspect of law school grades: one final exam determined 100% of the grade for the course. This meant there were no small assignments to keep students focused on their readings or make sure they were grasping the material. But this didn’t mean Raheela couldn’t adapt to her new environment.
She quickly learned to adjust, forming peer study groups, regularly showing up to office hours, and developing a number of self-care strategies to manage her stress. She felt her time in law school mirrored how real life works: trying something new or pursuing a new job might seem hopeless and impossible at first, but if you look for help in the right places, you’re likely to find it.
Her Own Practice
After graduation, jobs were very difficult to come by due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Raheela found brief employment in insurance defense and personal injury, but ultimately found this kind of law unfulfilling. Instead, she joined a boutique law firm centered on servicing startups — as a partner and the CFO of the firm. This was an incredibly rare opportunity for someone just two years out of law school, but Raheela had managed her connections well.
At this rare and fulfilling role, she gained deep insights on practicing law: how to engage with clients, speak with employees and the founders, and run the business side of a law firm.
“Essentially, I was learning how to manage this boutique law firm on someone else’s dime,” she said.
Eventually, she left the law firm to realign her personal goals. During this period, a contact reached out to Raheela for some legal assistance. Raheela accepted and filed to create an LLC for the contact, starting her own legal practice.
“Seeing myself get paid directly for my own services was life changing,” she said.
She realized that she didn’t need to work for anyone else to pursue a career in law. That one job gave Raheela the confidence to more formally launch her own legal practice, focusing on startups and venture capital.
A Full-Circle Story
Today, Raheela mentors 黑料正能量 students through the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship.
“What I ended up doing in my career inadvertently was really honoring the values I was taught in undergrad," she explained. "And I just wanted to give back.”
Raheela’s success reflects all of the lessons and entrepreneurial spirit she gained at 黑料正能量. This unflinching spirit gave her the confidence to pursue the path that was right for her every step of the way.
She uses her experience to advocate for non-traditional legal careers. For students in the Swartz Center, this means merging the law with business or consulting, demonstrating just how close these fields are.
“There are so many non-lawyer jobs you can have with a JD," Raheela said. "Literally anything is possible.”