Duncan Lewis Director Helps Launch Cardiff & District Law Society "Food and Faith" Series with First-Ever Iftar Event (11 March 2026)

Jenine Abdo, Family and Child Care Director at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, has helped initiate a new interfaith initiative aimed at celebrating diversity and fostering inclusion within the legal profession.

The Cardiff & District Law Society, supported by the Wales and Chester Circuit EDI Committee, is introducing a new “Food and Faith” series – a programme of events designed to bring together legal professionals from different faiths and backgrounds to share and learn about important religious celebrations.

The first event in the series will take place on 16 March and will mark Iftar, the evening meal during Ramadan when Muslims break their daily fast.

The collaborative initiative was first initiated by David Hughes, who proposed bringing together the Law Society and Circuit EDI committees to create interfaith events within the legal community. Following this initial contact, the event was organised jointly by Jenine Abdo, Co-DEI Lead and Past President of the Cardiff & District Law Society, alongside David Hughes, Barrister at 30 Park Place and Chair of the Wales and Chester Circuit EDI Committee, and Trish D’Souza, Legal Director at Browne Jacobson.

Promoting Inclusion Through Shared Celebration

The “Food and Faith” series was developed to provide a welcoming forum where members of the legal profession can share and celebrate religious milestones while inviting colleagues from all backgrounds to participate.

The initiative builds on a goal originally championed by Jenine Abdo during her presidency of the Cardiff & District Law Society – to create interfaith community celebrations within the legal sector. Now, through collaboration with the EDI committees of both the Law Society and the Wales and Chester Circuit, that vision is becoming a reality.

The events are intended to encourage greater understanding, education, and dialogue across the profession, while ensuring that colleagues from faith backgrounds that may sometimes feel underrepresented have an opportunity to showcase and celebrate their traditions.

By bringing people together around shared experiences such as food and cultural celebration, the series aims to strengthen connections within the profession and promote a more inclusive community.

A Year of Faith Celebrations

The Iftar event will be the first of four planned gatherings in the “Food and Faith” series. Future events will celebrate other significant religious occasions, including:

• Easter
• Diwali
• Hanukkah

Each event will offer an opportunity for legal professionals across the region to learn about the traditions and significance of these celebrations while engaging with colleagues in an inclusive and welcoming setting.

Celebrating Diversity in the Legal Profession

As the first initiative of its kind to be organised by the Cardiff & District Law Society and the Wales and Chester Circuit, the series represents an important step in recognising and celebrating the diversity within the legal profession.

Through these events, organisers hope to create a space where legal professionals of all backgrounds can come together to build understanding, share experiences, and celebrate the richness of faith and culture within the legal community.