Lida Kharooti Sayeed is a distinguished legal professional, former judge, and advocate for the rule of law with over 14 years of experience in criminal justice, judicial administration, and anti-corruption initiatives. Throughout her judicial career in Afghanistan, she served in the Supreme Court, Appeals Court, Juvenile Court, and the Anti-Corruption Justice Center, where she presided over high-profile corruption cases and contributed to the recovery of more than $100 million in public assets.

As Co-Founder and Vice President of the Afghan Women Judges Association, she played a leading role in advancing judicial independence, women’s leadership, and access to justice both nationally and internationally. She has represented Afghanistan in numerous global legal and judicial forums, promoting the principles of good governance and the rule of law.

Since relocating to the United States, Ms. Kharooti Sayeed has continued her commitment to public service and legal excellence through research, court administration, mentoring, and program leadership. She was selected as a Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy, where she conducted research on judicial governance and court management. She currently serves as a Program Specialist with the Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Services Council in Virginia.

Her contributions to judicial integrity and justice have earned international recognition, including the prestigious Global Jurist of the Year Award in 2022 from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. She holds a Master’s degree in Criminal Law and Criminology, a Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Law, and a Paralegal Certificate from the Paralegal Institute of Washington, D.C. She is fluent in Dari, Pashto, and English.