OUR TEAM

Sufia Khalid

Criminal Defense Staff Attorney

Sufia joined the criminal defense department in 2019 and works on federal criminal national security cases. Her work involves Muslim defendants investigated by the FBI´s counter-terrorism division (often cases of entrapment) and prosecuted by the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

Sufia works on cases in both trial and appellate federal courts across the country. She researches and writes motions challenging detention; evidentiary motions challenging unjust classified information procedures, prejudicial and irrelevant evidence, and other evidentiary issues; motions to dismiss on novel constitutional grounds; sentencing memorandums and objections challenging disproportionate sentencing guidelines reserved for Muslim defendants; and appellate arguments.

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Sufia prepares cases for trial, co-writes cross examinations for government witnesses including FBI agents, undercovers,forensic experts, terrorism experts, psychiatrists etc. She also co-writes direct exams of defense witnesses, manages eDiscovery and selects trial exhibits, prepares trial outlines, manages and helps prepare defense witnesses. Sufia has participated in two national security jury trials while at CLCMA and has prepared for several others which the criminal department has resolved in extraordinary outcomes shortly before trial.

Sufia is a passionate advocate and anti-racist lawyer. In her work with the criminal department, they have uncovered significant and unconscionable FBI undercover operation tactics used against the most vulnerable in the Muslim community. They have successfully challenged government attempts to keep critical evidence secret, and have achieved exceptional outcomes in case resolution and sentencing for their clients.

Sufia went to law school in England at the University of Sussex before working at the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia and the United Nations Development Programmer Legal Support Office in NYC. She received her LLM at Cardozo Law School, during which she interned at the Legal Aid Society’s Manhattan Trial Office. Sufia also loves to travel (21 countries, and counting) and enjoys exploring the DFW halal foodie scene with her husband.