Assalamu’alaikum
I wanted to know whether being a litigation/arbitration lawyer is inherently impermissible in Islam?
I accept there are challenges but having now specialised in the area (and after focusing more on my deen for the past few years), I am becoming increasingly concerned that my income is not halal.
I am a disputes lawyer at a law firm. My main concern arises from matters which involve riba or haram goods.
For example, I am instructed by client A on a contractual dispute. Client A wishes to claim interest on an outstanding sum pursuant a clause in a contract. Would it be impermissible for me to act to assist from an Islamic perspective? The way I am seeing it potentially is that I am facilitating dealing in riba as part of my job. Alternatively, it’s something I can’t avoid, as a junior lawyer I can’t pick and choose which matters I will and won’t work on. Or another alternative is that I am not compelled to work here. I can leave this area entirely and find a sharia compliant area of law- but that is easier said than done.
Another example is this: Client A is in dispute with B. The dispute concerns haram goods (I.e alcohol). I am engaged by A to ascertain the value of the alcohol (as part of a sub-issue in dispute). Is it impermissible for me to assist?
I would really appreciate some guidance here. I have spent years (mostly at times where I was not practising and focused on specialising in litigation without regard to the Islamic consequences). I am now more conscious and want to understand my position and if I have to leave this area, what alternative areas of law I can turn to to avoid riba entirely that keeps within a contentious area.
Jazak’Allahu Khairun