Masooda Qazi

Masooda Qazi is a paralegal at the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office. When Kabul fell in August 2021, she was working for the U.S. Embassy, handling employees background checks, sensitive cases related to corruption, counterintelligence, and harassment within the Embassy. A 2012 graduate of Kabul University, Masooda began her legal career at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, where she promoted gender parity in government hiring.

In 2013, Masooda joined the EU Police Mission to support capacity-building and rule of law projects, including a significant effort to criminalize domestic violence in the Penal Code. From 2017 to 2019, she served as a legal advisor on EU-funded projects to establish and oversee the Anti-Corruption Justice Center before joining the U.S. Embassy in 2019.

Masooda, her husband Hamid (also a lawyer), and their two sons endured a challenging journey out of Kabul in August 2021. After being evacuated to the Netherlands, the family was detained in a refugee camp for nine months before being resettled in San Diego. They soon welcomed a baby girl, and both found employment in the legal sector.

Follow her on X @Masoodaqazi and on LinkedIn at Masooda Qazi.