ROOTED IN TRADITION.
SHAPING THE FUTURE.
ROOTED IN TRADITION.
SHAPING THE FUTURE.
LAW & POLICY NETWORK FOR AMERICAN SHIA MUSLIMS
THE MAINSTAY
LAW & POLICY NETWORK
Join the Law & Policy Network for American Shia Muslims, a professional community that connects attorneys, in-house counsel, compliance officers, policy analysts, public-interest advocates, scholars, government staff, and law students to advance values-aligned lawyering and smarter policy for our communities.
What
A member-led hub for sharing expertise, mentorship, tools, and opportunities across civil rights and religious liberty, nonprofit and governance, immigration and asylum, election law and civic engagement, tech/privacy/AI policy, healthcare and education regulation, government contracting, and public-interest litigation.
Why
To strengthen legal capacity and civic impact; amplify representation; uphold ethical stewardship and constitutional protections; and turn best ideas into briefs, programs, and policy wins, through mentorship, peer review, resource sharing, and partnerships that open doors to clinics, externships, clerkships, fellowships, jobs, and funding.
How
• Complete a brief interest sign-up.
• Join the welcome call and select a working group
• Share and learn through virtual events, networking sessions, and in-person conferences.
Membership includes access to:
• A national network of Muslim legal and policy professionals (practitioners, academics, public servants) and an active law-student/alumni mentor directory.
• Collaborative projects and impact campaigns, with opportunities to connect to Mainstay projects, networks, and chapters—and to partner across the AI, Healthcare, Entrepreneurs, Educators, Students, and Administrators Networks.
• Frequent roundtables, virtual events, workshops, conferences, and in-person meetups focused on litigation strategy, regulatory change, compliance, ethics, policy, leadership, and community impact.
• A shared resource library (model bylaws and policies, internal-control and compliance checklists, comment-letter templates, FOIA/public-records kits, policy-memo and op-ed guides) and a member directory with mentoring plus a jobs/placements board.
• Attend and participate in the Annual ENGAGE Conference (law & policy track).
Whether you’re drafting policy, arguing cases, advising institutions, or training the next generation, this network is your place to grow, and to help others grow with you.
Apply now to become a member of our network.
We kindly ask that all prospective members complete a brief form. Expect an e-mail from us within 48 hours.
APPLY TODAY & JOIN THE
LAW & POLICY NETWORK
Individual Information
Network Focused Information
Our Network brings together American Shia Muslim legal minds from across the globe to connect, learn, and lead with purpose in law, policy, and public life.
Through mentorship, scholarship, and strategic engagement, members gain insights, skills, and networks to elevate their careers and impact their communities.
Scholarship
Advancing legal scholarship rooted in Islamic jurisprudence as a living tradition in dialogue with today’s legal systems and societal challenges
Mentorship
Supporting law students across the U.S. with mentorship, access, and professional development
Network
Building a multigenerational, multi-jurisdictional network of Muslim legal professionals
Programming
Hosting seminars, fellowships, roundtables, and writing initiatives at the intersection of law, faith, and justice
Engagement
Equipping our members to engage local and global legal systems with confidence, clarity, and spiritual convictio
Exchange
Bridging Muslim legal professionals and students with the jurists of the Islamic Seminary of Najaf to foster scholarly exchange, mutual understanding, and intellectual continuity
POWERED BY
POWERED BY
ABOUT MAINSTAY
The Mainstay Foundation was established in 2012. Dedicated to education, research, leadership development, and humanitarian outreach, it serves as a national hub, fostering collaboration among a wide network of Islamic centers and institutions across the United States.
The Foundation publishes scholarly works on Islamic thought, convenes national conferences, and leads cultural and educational exchange programs—bringing professionals and students to the Holy City of Najaf, while also hosting leading scholars from the Islamic Seminary to visit American centers, universities and places of worship. These initiatives bridge communities, foster dialogue, and deepen mutual understanding between the American Muslim community and global centers of Islamic learning.
On the international front, the Foundation advances humanitarian and development efforts by delivering aid and building sustainable partnerships in underserved regions across the world.
Director
HAJJ JALAL MOUGHANIA
Hajj Jalal Moughania is a law professor, attorney, lecturer, and author focused on the intersections of law, leadership, and Islamic thought. He teaches Islamic Law at Wayne State University and the University of Detroit Mercy. Moughania is the author of Ali: The Elixir of Love, Husayn: The Saga of Hope, and Fatima: The Flower of Life, and co-author of The Pope Meets the Ayatollah. He also translated The Marjaeya by Grand Ayatollah M.S. Al-Hakeem.
He serves on the Board of the Mainstay Foundation and holds a J.D. from the University of Toledo, with certificates from Oxford and Harvard.
Moughania is the founding director of the Mainstay Law & Policy Network, a national platform cultivating Muslim legal professionals grounded in Islamic tradition and engaged in shaping the future of law and policy through scholarship, mentorship, and civic engagement.
Founding Director
PROF. JALAL MOUGHANIA
Hajj Jalal Moughania is a law professor, attorney, lecturer, and author focused on the intersections of law, leadership, and Islamic thought.
Moughania teaches Islamic Law at Wayne State University and the University of Detroit Mercy. Moughania is the author of Ali: The Elixir of Love, Husayn: The Saga of Hope, and Fatima: The Flower of Life, and co-author of The Pope Meets the Ayatollah. He also translated The Marjaeya by Grand Ayatollah M.S. Al-Hakeem.
He serves on the Board of the Mainstay Foundation and holds a J.D. from the University of Toledo, with certificates from Oxford and Harvard.
Moughania is the founding director of The Mainstay Law & Policy Network, a national platform cultivating Muslim legal professionals grounded in Islamic tradition and engaged in shaping the future of law and policy through scholarship, mentorship, and civic engagement.
The Law & Policy Network is a project powered by The Mainstay Foundation