Lara Saade Esq., Sami Gemayel’s legal advisor

In its issue of today, L’Orient le Jour highlighted the professional journey of Lara Saade, lawyer and legal advisor to MP Sami Gemayel, the president of the Phalangist Party.  Saade pursued her legal degree first at the St. Joseph University and then studied international law at Paris-Sud.  She also received a degree in in public policy from Syracuse University and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree from the university of Grenoble.  Saade told the newspaper that she initially wanted to pursue a medical degree and had enrolled in biology at the Lebanese University.  However, she later became active with the students branch of the Phalangist party and realized that she can contribute to society in a different way and thus shifted to studying law and met with MP Sami Gemayel.  Saade worked with UNDP after she graduated.  By then, Gemayel was voted in parliament for the first time.  She proceeded to send him a number of legal suggestions which led him to ask her to join his legal team.  Saade first refused the offer as she wanted to pursue her professional career rather than go into politics but she ended up agreeing.  Saade recalls that the first set of legal amendments she prepared were related to the municipalities law, the tax measures for the 2018 budget, the electricity bill, and others.  Saade noted that she is committed to fighting all forms of discrimination against women and indicated that her work with UNDP focuses on legal reform toward gender equality in Lebanon and the Arab world. (L’Orient le Jour. 19 August 2019)