Taking advantage of opportunities has prepared RP alum Mahi Taban for a career in the courtroom

WHEN YOUR PERSPECTIVE includes experiences from around the world, standing in front of a courtroom probably doesn’t seem quite as daunting.

For Richmond Promise alum Mahi Taban, the goal of becoming a lawyer has followed a decidedly global path.

These days, Taban is busy finishing her studies as a third-year law student at the University of Virginia. She’s pointing towards a career in commercial litigation, a trajectory that will have her focused on resolving business disputes.

It’s a career choice Taban couldn’t have predicted as a young student.

“I remember being in middle school and already thinking about college,” Taban said. “I think part of it was my parents were always very, very focused on our education, and they really instilled this value for education in us. So, I knew that one of the paths out for me was through focusing on my education.”

As a student at El Cerrito High School, she got a chance to participate in the Ivy League Connection, an initiative that at one time sent high school students to participate in summer programs at East Coast schools. As part of the program, Taban spent a summer taking a Women in Leadership course at Brown University in Rhode Island.

The experience convinced her that studying out of state might be a worthwhile endeavor, and when it came time to pick a college, she chose to pursue her undergraduate degree at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Once there, she settled on Political Science and English as her courses of study.

So, how did law school enter the picture?

As a sophomore at Clark, Taban chose to join the Richmond Promise Mentor Program. She was paired with a young lawyer from Richmond, Piper Pehrson, who had previously taught in WCCUSD schools and was interested in once again helping local students however she could.

“She was very clear minded about her goals both in college and beyond and I was so impressed with her ability to make things happen,” Pehrson remembers. “Even when she was a sophomore in college, she knew she (1) wanted to go to law school; (2) knew she wanted to go to a GREAT law school; and (3) was ready to do everything she needed to do to make it happen.

“Beyond her determination and focus, she was mature beyond her years, kind, and I loved learning more about her family and their journey to the Bay Area – she is a resilient leader who has literally taken advantage of every single opportunity presented to her.”

With law school now the focus, Taban put in the work needed to make her goal a reality. Pehrson recalls her work on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) in particular, saying “I also was amazed by the hard work she did to succeed on the LSAT – she set a very ambitious goal and was not satisfied until she had the score she needed.”

The work paid off, and eventually she was accepted to the University of Virginia. Before heading back to the East Coast, she spent a year serving her East Bay community as an AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator at Oakland-based nonprofit Reading Partners.

Law school has opened additional doors for Taban. In January of 2024, she traveled to Kenya as part of UVA Law School’s Human Rights Study Project where she spent a week learning about rights related to health care and engaging with local health leaders.

In November of 2024, she joined two other law students and Professor Camilo Sánchez on a visit to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland where they observed the Universal Periodic Review.

Traveling the world has only reinforced the importance of local programs that have helped Taban along the way.

“To think about these really big issues, they can also seem really unsolvable and scary, and it can feel like there’s just nothing that you can do to fix them,” Taban said. “But all these programs that already exist, like even the nonprofit that I worked at, Reading Partners, or Richmond Promise, or the Ivy League Connection, all these organizations that are really focused on community and the next generation and building up the youth, I think that can make such an incredible difference. So I think for me, it’s even more important now, even coming from Richmond, and you know, coming from those neighborhoods, to really be able to give back.”

Pehrson, who now works as an Assistant Public Defender in the Rhode Island Public Defender’s office, has seen her former mentee grow exponentially over the last few years. Their relationship continues to the point that they still try to visit each other when possible.

“Mahi should be an inspiration to all Richmond students, her story demonstrates the power of setting ambitious goals and working incredibly hard to achieve them,” Pehrson said. “I could not be more proud of everything she has done and will do. Also, even with her elite education, she is committed to stay rooted in her community and is coming back to the Bay Area where she will be a leader for others.”

As she prepares to graduate from law school and return to California, Taban also has a bit of advice for Richmond Promise Scholars who might be considering their own next steps for college or a career.

“Make use of every single resource that is available to you. Ask for help. There are so many people in the community that are so interested in helping and being mentors and giving back,” said Taban. “If you’re not sure where to start, go to your career counselor or anyone else who’s at your school, or even a teacher that you really like and you feel like believes in you. Just leave no stone unturned.

“Put yourself out there, believe, have courage, have confidence in yourself. Everyone kind of finds their path. It’s so hard when you’re in high school. Honestly, I know I feel like what I was doing, none of it felt intentional. But looking back, things work out. So, stay positive.”