About
Abdifatah “Abdi” Mohamed is a civil rights attorney with years of experience advocating on behalf of individuals against insurance companies, employers, and property owners. He also helps small business owners with their legal needs. Abdi has experience helping individuals start businesses from childcare facilities, drug addiction treatment centers and home healthcare centers. In addition to his small business practice, he represents individuals in employment, housing, and public accommodations discrimination matters. Abdi also advocates on behalf of immigrants and assists individuals seeking to expunge their criminal records.
Abdi is a graduate of the University of Washington and Mitchell Hamline School of Law. During law school, he clerked at two national firms, represented his school at the Phillip C. Jessup International Moot Court competition, and served as an editor at a student run law journal where he had an article published. As a law clerk at Best & Flanagan, he supported attorneys in the bankruptcy, construction and employment practice groups.
As a Summer Associate at Foley & Mansfield, Abdi worked alongside esteemed practitioners in the firm’s toxic tort and commercial litigation practice groups. While at Foley & Mansfield, Abdi drafted a winning summary judgment brief defending a client against a wrongful death claim. After law school, Abdi joined a small personal injury firm where he represented clients in arbitration hearings. Prior to starting Mohamed Zain, LLP, he gained valuable experience working in the area of civil rights, where he investigated and mediated cases of discrimination.
Abdi serves as the current President of the Somali American Bar Association (SABA) and as a board member of the Ramsey County Bar Association. As the president of SABA and in his role within the Ramsey County Bar Association, he has worked to create access to the legal community for Minnesota’s large Somali-American community. Abdi is also an active member in the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party where he serves on the DFL Lawyer’s Steering Committee. He is also a volunteer attorney with The Advocates for Human Rights where he assists clients with asylum bond hearings. Lastly, he is also a Minnesota Rule 114 Qualified Neutral and is available to help organizations and individuals in private mediations throughout the state of Minnesota.
Admissions
- State of Minnesota
Speaking Engagements
- Guest Lecturer, University of Minnesota Law School, Course on Conflict Resolution, Fall 2019.
- Panelist, Hennepin County Library, Entrepreneur Expo, October 2, 2019.
- Panelist, “Trump, Somali-Americans, and the Law: A Panel Discussion on the President’s Authority to Enact Laws that Impact Minnesota’s Somali Community,” – January 20, 2017.
- Featured Speaker, “Minnesota’s Second-Chance Expungement Law,” Apr. 2015.
Professional Associations
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Ramsey County Bar Association, Board Member, 2019-
- Somali American Bar Association, President – 2018-
- DFL Lawyers Steering Committee, Member – 2019 – Present
Volunteer Activities
- Minnesota Urban Debate League – Debate Judge
- Advocates for Human Rights – Volunteer Attorney
Publications
- “Sharia Bans: What the History of the Religion Clauses Teach Us about the Constitutionality of State Bans on Islamic Law,” Vol. 6 of Wm. Mitchell Law Raza J.L. & Diversity (May 2015).
Practice Area
