Kimberley Motley is an American international human rights attorney, philanthropist, author, and former beauty queen, of African-American and Korean descent.

At the confluence of Central Asia and South Asia, Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked nation. The capital and largest city of the nation is Kabul.

The region, which has been dubbed “the graveyard of empires”, has historically been inhabited by a variety of peoples and has seen a number of military campaigns, including those led by the Persians, Alexander the Great, the Maurya Empire, Arab Muslims, the Mongols, the British, the Soviet Union, and, most recently, a US-led coalition. The Greco-Bactrians and the Mughals, among others, also arose from Afghanistan to establish significant empires.

The people she works with range from imprisoned Afghan women to foreign reporters and kidnap and rape victims.

A Discussion on Her Status as The Only Foreign Attorney in Afghanistan:

Who’s This Legal Eagle?

Kimberly Motley, a US attorney. She’s the first and only foreign lawyer to practise in Afghanistan.

How Long Has She Been Working in That Part of The World?

Ms Motley arrived in 2008 and, eight years later, the former US beauty queen remains the only foreigner with a license to practise in Afghanistan’s courts.

What’s Her Client Base Like?

The people she works with range from imprisoned Afghan women in Kabul’s Badam Bagh prison to foreign reporters and kidnap and rape victims.

Has She Ever Found Herself on The Wrong Side of The Law?

The upper echelons of the state aren’t her biggest fans, seemingly.

Why Not Just Go Back Home?

She describes herself as “a legal archaeologist,” and immerses herself in Islamic texts to identify passages that might help her clients, particularly women.