Haben Girma

When Mentors Become Friends

Two women of color stand together smiling. Deepa wears a gold necklace over a gray top, dark yellow trousers, sunglasses, and holds her cane and iPhone in her left hand. Haben wears a denim jacket over a colorful dress and holds the leash of her Seeing Eye dog in her right hand. Behind them is a glass door reflecting the trees in front of the building.

Fighting discrimination from coast to coast, Deepa Goraya is a disability rights attorney. We met when she was a law student and I was in college wondering if I, too, could go to law school. Deepa generously answered my questions about law school as a blind student, sparking a wonderful friendship. She now lives in Washington, D.C. and is licensed in both D.C. and California. She recently joined the McGuinness Law Group where she continues advocating for disability justice.