Sound legal ground
by David DeKunder
Noosa Al-Sarraj (LL.M. ’24) may have one of the most unconventional paths of any attorney who studied and graduated from the St. Mary’s University School of Law.
Al-Sarraj, who specializes in real estate litigation for the Deitch Law Offices in Austin, first practiced law in her native country of Canada, in the province of Ontario, for one year after earning her law degree from the University of Ottawa in 2010.
“As soon as I got my license, I hung out my shingle and went out on my own for a year,” Al-Sarraj said. “And that was very challenging. It was a learning experience, and I did manage to successfully resolve one huge case; I managed to take care of it and then once I was done, I thought I needed to switch gears.”
Al-Sarraj then embarked on a singing career, touring Canada, the United States and Europe. Her talents eventually led her to Texas when she entered a songwriting contest for the Kerrville Folk Festival in 2017. Al-Sarraj won the contest, and she liked Texas so much that she moved to the state within a year.
She was able to make it as a full-time musician until the COVID-19 pandemic. So, Al-Sarraj switched gears again, this time going back into the law profession, taking a job as a paralegal at a firm in Bastrop in 2022.
While working as a paralegal, Al-Sarraj decided to go to law school so she could practice law again, this time in Texas. Elizabeth Beyer (J.D. ’09), an attorney at the law firm where she worked, suggested she apply to St. Mary’s Law because it would provide a supportive learning environment for her.
“I have [the St. Mary’s University mission statement] on my fridge and I looked at it recently, and there are really good guiding principles. Just to conduct yourself with integrity and honesty and to be of service to others, lift other people up around you.”
— Noosa Al-Sarraj (LL.M. ’24)
As a foreign-trained attorney, she enrolled in the Master of Laws (LL.M.) in American Legal Studies, which is designed for those intending to sit for the bar exam in Texas and California. Al-Sarraj graduated with her degree in May 2024 and successfully passed the bar exam in July 2024.
Al-Sarraj said one of her favorite law professors at St. Mary’s Law was Chad Pomeroy, J.D., who taught her in courses on property and evidence.
“He knows his stuff really well, and if you put in the effort for his classes, you come out knowing what you need to know,” Al-Sarraj said.
Pomeroy, Professor of Law and the James N. Castleberry Jr. Chair of Oil and Gas Law, said Al-Sarraj was engaged and curious in the courses he taught her.
“Participating a lot in class, she would email me with questions and was very interested in the ancillary information I could provide that would give a full background with respect to some of her questions,” Pomeroy said. “Altogether, she was just a great student, a great person to have in class.”
Asked what values she learned at St. Mary’s and how they have guided her law career, Al-Sarraj points to the school’s mission statement.
“I have it on my fridge and I looked at it recently, and there are really good guiding principles,” Al-Sarraj said. “Just to conduct yourself with integrity and honesty and to be of service to others, lift other people up around you.”
Al-Sarraj said she got into property and real estate law because of an experience that happened to her family in Canada.
“There were some unfortunate events growing up,” Al-Sarraj said. “My father’s business experienced some really turbulent times. They didn’t know any lawyers and, unfortunately, they lost everything.
“When I got older, I just really wanted to help people,” she said. “There’s a personal story that I’m always thinking of those who put all their hopes into their business, and they risked losing everything. So, I always try and bring that personal aspect to representing clients.”
While Al-Sarraj is enjoying her successful legal career, music is still part of her life in Austin. In her spare time, Al-Sarraj performs in venues in the area with her band, Girl Haggard. She now has the best of both worlds.
