Pakistani-American
Pakistani Americans ( ur, ) are Americans who originate from Pakistan. The term may also refer to people who also hold a dual Pakistani and U.S. citizenship. Educational attainment level and household income are much higher in the Pakistani-Am ...
attorney, author and podcast host. Family friend of
Adnan Syed
Adnan ( ar, عدنان, 'adnān) is the traditional ancestor of the Adnanite Arabs of Northern, Western, Eastern and Central Arabia, as opposed to the Qahtanite Arabs of Southern Arabia who descend from Qahtan. His ancestry can be traced back t ...
, subject of the podcast ''Serial'' (2014), Chaudry subsequently wrote a book about his case called ''Adnan’s Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial'' (2016), which became a ''New York Times'' best seller. Chaudry co-hosts '' Undisclosed'', a podcast on Syed's case and others.
Early life
Chaudry was born in
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. She attended the
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is a public research university in Baltimore County, Maryland. It has a fall 2022 enrollment of 13,991 students, 61 undergraduate majors, over 92 graduate programs (38 master, 25 doctoral, ...
and the
George Mason University School of Law
The Antonin Scalia Law School (previously George Mason University School of Law) is the law school of George Mason University, a public research university in Virginia. It is located in Arlington, Virginia, roughly west of Washington, D.C., and ...
.
Career
Chaudry, a childhood friend of
Adnan Syed
Adnan ( ar, عدنان, 'adnān) is the traditional ancestor of the Adnanite Arabs of Northern, Western, Eastern and Central Arabia, as opposed to the Qahtanite Arabs of Southern Arabia who descend from Qahtan. His ancestry can be traced back t ...
, was the first person to take his case to radio producer and host
Sarah Koenig
Sarah Koenig (; born July 9, 1969 in New York City) is an American journalist, public radio personality, former producer of the television and radio program ''This American Life'', and the host and executive producer of the podcast '' Serial''.
...
; on the 2014 podcast ''Serial'', Koenig documented her investigation into Chaudry’s contention that Syed had been wrongly convicted of killing Hae Min Lee. Chaudry subsequently wrote a book about the case called ''Adnan’s Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial'' ( St. Martin Press, September 2016). Molly Fitzgerald writes in ''
Bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...
'' that the book "picks up where ‘Serial’ left off," describing evidence not included in the ''Serial'' podcast including letters he wrote to his family early in his imprisonment. Reviewing the book for the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', Jessica Roy wrote, “It was easy to forget, listening to ‘Serial,’ that it was a true story about real people. ‘Adnan’s Story’ adds context and humanizes it in a way that could change how you think about the case, and about ‘Serial’ itself.” ''Adnan's Story'' became a ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' best-seller and one of
Audible
Audible may refer to:
* Audible (service), an online audiobook store
* Audible (American football), a tactic used by quarterbacks
* ''Audible'' (film), a short documentary film featuring a deaf high school football player
* Audible finish or rush ...
's 10 most popular
audio books
An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements.
Spoken audio has been available in sch ...
of 2016.
Chaudry also has a podcast, ''Undisclosed'' with Susan Simpson and Colin Miller, that looks at evidence in Syed's case, the case of Joey Watkins, and others.
Chaudry has been a fellow at the
US Institute of Peace
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is an American federal institution tasked with promoting conflict resolution and prevention worldwide. It provides research, analysis, and training to individuals in diplomacy, mediation, and other peac ...
and at the
New America Foundation
New America, formerly the New America Foundation, is a think tank in the United States founded in 1999. It focuses on a range of public policy issues, including national security studies, technology, asset building, health, gender, energy, educa ...
. She is founder and president of the Safe Nation Collaborative, a project that offers education on Islamic faith, dialogue between law enforcement and Muslim communities, and countering violent extremism.