September 11, 2001, galvanized Shirin Sinnar. A Stanford University law student at the time, Sinnar and a handful of other Muslim students had heard worrisome stories about hate crimes, employment discrimination and inappropriate government interrogations of Muslim community members in the wake of the terrorist attacks. In response, the Bay Area Association of Muslim Lawyers (BAAML) was born within weeks of 9/11, with Sinnar as its first president.

Five years later, the association is the recipient of the State Bar’s 2006 President’s Pro Bono Service Award for Distinguished Service. The award was presented at the State Bar Annual Meeting in Monterey on October 6, 2006.