For Aicha, the decision to pursue law was driven by a simple motivation: helping people navigate difficult moments in their lives.
What drew her in was the possibility of supporting people through situations that are often uncertain or overwhelming - not only by giving legal advice, but by being a steady presence throughout the process. At Advokatfirmaet Lippestad, where she works primarily with criminal law and immigration law, that human side of the profession remains central to how she sees her role.
“What motivated me to become a lawyer was that I could help people in different situations and difficulties,” she says. “To be a supportive person, and to give them the human support they need, but also a high-quality legal service.”
That instinct to help was there early, even if the path itself was not entirely planned.
Unlike people who know exactly what they want to become from childhood, Aicha says she was drawn to several different paths. For a time, she was deciding between becoming a nurse and becoming a lawyer - two professions that, in different ways, are both about helping people. One offers care in a medical setting; the other offers support, guidance and protection through difficult legal situations.
In the end, the choice was nudged along by chance. She applied to the wrong nursing school, did not accept the place, and found herself on the path towards law.
What appealed to her about studying law was the range of possibilities it offered. A law degree, she says, opens many doors. Even years into a career, it allows you to change direction, move into a new field, and keep learning. That flexibility mattered to her.
During her studies, she spent time at several large corporate law firms. It was valuable experience, but something was missing. The work was interesting, yet she found herself looking for something more directly connected to individuals and their lives. That search eventually led her to Advokatfirmaet Lippestad.
There, she found the kind of work that felt meaningful.
“I wanted to help the individual in different situations in life,” she says. “To be a supportive person, and hopefully help them solve their case. And even if you cannot solve the case, you can still help by listening, doing your best, and standing by them.”
That way of thinking runs through the areas she has chosen to work in. In criminal law, she acts both as defense counsel and as counsel for victims. In immigration law, she works on appeals and family cases - areas where legal outcomes can have a significant impact on people’s lives.
“You can really make a difference for someone,” she says.
And even when the result is not the one a client hoped for, the work still matters. Many clients, she explains, are grateful simply to have someone who listens carefully, takes their case seriously, and represents them properly.
That same sense of responsibility shapes the way she thinks about criminal law. Aicha is realistic about the work. When a criminal case reaches court, it often means the authorities believe they have sufficient evidence.
But that does not lessen the importance of the lawyer’s role.
“What gives me motivation is being able to help that person in that difficult situation,” she says. “For the individual involved, it is extremely important.”
Sometimes the task is to challenge the case itself. Sometimes it is to ensure a fair process or to argue for a more proportionate outcome. Either way, the lawyer’s role goes beyond legal arguments.
“To be a supportive person before the process, during the process, and after the process - that matters,” she says.
Working with criminal and immigration law also means encountering some of the more difficult moments in people’s lives. Asked how she manages the emotional side of the work, Aicha says experience has helped her develop a balance.
“I’m quite good at putting it aside when I get home,” she says. “Otherwise it would be difficult to do this job over time.”
At the same time, certain moments still stand out - particularly when an important decision arrives in a case.
“When a decision comes in, you always want to check the result immediately,” she says.
Positive outcomes are especially rewarding, knowing how meaningful they can be for the people involved.
“When the result is good, it’s a great feeling,” she says.
And when the outcome is not what the client hoped for, she focuses on what she can control: doing thorough work, preparing the case properly, and representing the client to the best of her ability.
“If you know you’ve done a good job and used all the tools you have, it makes it easier to accept when the result doesn’t go the way you wanted.”
Alongside the human dimension of the work, Aicha’s daily routines have also evolved with the introduction of new technology.
She now uses Saga, almost every day.
In criminal cases, where police files can run to thousands of pages, Saga helps her work through large volumes of material more efficiently. It can identify relevant information, organise documents, create timelines, and assist with preparation for court.
What she appreciates particularly is that the system shows exactly where information is found within the documents.
“That makes it easy for me to cross-check that everything is correct,” she says.
In immigration work, Saga helps in another way. Many cases involve appeals within a similar legal framework. By uploading previous documents and relevant case materials, she can generate a first draft that she then refines.
“It saves me a lot of time,” she says.
But she emphasises that the process is never automatic.
“It’s not the first answer that I use,” she explains. “We go back and forth.”
She describes the interaction as a form of collaboration: reviewing drafts, adjusting language, adding context, and refining the document until it becomes useful.
“It’s more like a discussion,” she says. “You improve the result step by step.”
That efficiency allows her to focus more on the parts of the job she values most - client contact, legal analysis and strategy.
“It improves the overall quality of the work,” she says, “because it frees up time for the things that really matter.”
She also says it changes the experience of working alone on a case.
“It feels like having a sparring partner you can consult,” she says.
At the same time, she emphasises that the human perspective remains essential.
“The human aspect is important,” she says. “That’s something the lawyer always brings to the case.”
That commitment to people, especially those who may otherwise struggle to access legal support, is also part of the culture at Advokatfirmaet Lippestad.
“It’s very important for us to help all people in society,” Aicha says, “including those who might not always receive help elsewhere.”
The firm regularly works with individuals in complex situations and also dedicates time to pro bono work.
“That’s a core value for us,” she says. “To help people who might otherwise not have access to legal assistance.”
Asked whether she would recommend Saga to other law firms, her answer is clear.
“It’s like having an assistant available twenty-four hours a day,” she says. “And it makes your work much more efficient.”
For her, the real value lies in what that efficiency allows: more time for clients, deeper legal analysis, and greater attention to the human side of the profession.
“I think it’s the future,” she says. “The sooner you start using it, the better.”
Still, technology remains only a tool. What clients remember most, she says, is something far simpler - that someone listened, took their case seriously, and stood beside them when it mattered.
And for Aicha, that is exactly why she chose the profession in the first place.
