Sumbul Ali-Karamali Profile Photo

Islamic Law Expert and Awarding Winning Author

Sumbul Ali-Karamali is a corporate lawyer, expert on Islamic law, and award-winning author of three accessible and engaging books that dispel misconceptions and answer questions about Islam and Muslims, including Shariah and its perceived and actual influence on American and Western legal systems and culture. Besides working with nonprofits dedicated to multicultural education, Sumbul sits on the Women in Islamic Spirituality and Equality (WISE) steering committee and the Muslim Women’s Global Shura Council, organizations that promote women’s rights and human rights from an Islamic perspective.

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Jan. 8, 2026

Sticky Lawyers Looks Back: Lives in Practice

What if you can’t separate the lawyer from their identity? This compilation features attorneys whose practices aren't just what they do—they're who they are. They didn't choose their niches through market analysis or strategic planning. Their practices chose them. The pattern is clear: authenticity creates the most sustainable practices. The conscientious orthopedic surgeon becomes a conscientious personal injury lawyer. The geneticist who brings science to law and law to science. The proud son of Polish World War II refugees who helped shape Poland's commercial law framework. The stories of these and eight other Sticky Lawyers prove that the most fulfilling legal careers emerge when lawyers bring their whole selves to their work—their backgrounds, their struggles, their victories, their identities. In this special compilation, host John Reed looks back at guests who show that for some Sticky Lawyers, you can’t separate the person from the practice.
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July 6, 2023

An Education About Shariah From an Islamic Law Expert

Growing up Muslim in America, Sumbul Ali-Kalamari was accustomed to explaining her religious culture to non-Muslims, especially in the Stanford University dorms. After becoming a corporate attorney and earning an LL.M. in Islamic Law, the cultural questions continued. She wrote her first book in 2008 and has made a career of writing, lecturing, and educating the public to promote intercultural understanding in the world – while also actively practicing law. In this episode, Sumbul gives us a broad education on the evolution of Islam and Islamic Law over the centuries, dispelling myths and shining a light on often misunderstood nuances. She explains Shariah’s feminist roots and a legal system based on the notion that an amicable settlement is best. And she tells how a childhood crush on William Shatner’s Captain Kirk led her to draw parallels to Star Trek in her books. Join us on this journey through the origins and tenets of Islam and learn about how this Sticky Lawyer has follo…