Houston energy reporter Nushin Huq views the articles she writes like they are her children.
“I don’t have a favorite,” she says. “I love them all. I really enjoy the reporting aspect of my job. I love stories where I interview interesting people, learn something new or surprising.”
The Texas Lawbook is pleased to announce that Nushin (pronounced New-sheen) is joining our team as a journalist in Houston.
A former business and energy editor and writer with Bloomberg and S&P Global Platts, Nushin published her first article today in The Lawbook – a profile of Bracewell partner Barron Wallace, who is one of the leading public finance and municipal bond lawyers in Houston.
A 2001 graduate of the University of Texas, Nushin received a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University in 2005. During her 14-year career, she has written about oil and gas, healthcare, corporate taxes and environmental regulatory matters.
When Nushin told me that she also had covered state legislatures in Louisiana and Mississippi, I knew she could handle a bunch of Texas business lawyers.
In the days, weeks and months ahead, Nushin will be doing more articles on public finance. But she’s also working on a series of articles on women-owned law firms and on issues impacting corporations and law firms in the upcoming Texas legislative session.
The Lawbook is thrilled to have Nushin join our team. Now, here is a Q&A with Nushin so that you know a little more about her.
Texas Lawbook: Tell us about your family and growing up.
Nushin Huq: I grew up in Houston with my parents and younger brother. My parents immigrated to Houston from Bangladesh in the late 1970s to finish their graduate studies. My father finished a master’s in engineering as well as a MBA from the University of Houston. After graduation, they bought a house in the suburbs in Northwest Houston. My dad worked as a mechanical engineer and my mom was a stay-at-home parent.
Lawbook: Any journalists or lawyers in your family?
Nushin: My brother is an attorney in Houston. My late-maternal uncle was also an attorney in Bangladesh. An interesting fact, he received a master’s in comparative law from SMU Law School in the 1958, several years before my parents came to the Texas. He returned to Bangladesh and practiced there until he passed away in the early-1980s. I also have a maternal aunt that is a journalist in Bangladesh.
Lawbook: What led you to study journalism and later to become a journalist?
Nushin: My parents watched the nightly news and read the paper regularly, so I grew up consuming news. I started off in undergrad as a biochemistry major at UT. It was during a summer fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, where I realized, I loved learning new things, meeting new people and learning about what they were doing but hated lab work. So, I went onto the university website and looked up all the degrees UT offered. I realized that journalism actually gave me many of the things I was seeking in a science degree – the chance to ask questions, research, and learn about things I didn’t know before.
Lawbook: What is the best or your favorite article that you have published and why?
Nushin: My stories are like my kids- I don’t have a favorite… I love them all. I really enjoy the reporting aspect of my job. I love stories where I interview interesting people, learn something new or surprising. I once interviewed and wrote a profile on Judge Gilstrap (US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas). It was cool to interview a judge and learn about how he runs his courtroom (he’s famous for handling patent cases). I also enjoyed covering the Louisiana Legislature.
Lawbook: What attracted you to covering the financial industry?
Nushin: I kind of fell into it. After sophomore year, I flew up to Washington, D.C. and basically knocked door to door at the National Press Building looking for an internship. Got a lot of “no thank yous” until Market News International, which is a wire service covering the economic policy (Federal Reserve, Treasury Department, etc.), took me up on my offer to intern. The bureau chief, Denny Gulino, and the other reporters really took me under their wing. It kind of just took off from there. When I got back to UT, I took a business reporting class and took an economics reporting quarter during my master’s program.
Lawbook: What have been your experiences interviewing lawyers and investment bankers?
Nushin: Previously, I was the Houston correspondent for Bloomberg Law, where essentially, most of my stories involved interviewing lawyers.
Sometimes, I might reach out for a comment on a specific case they are handling, but more often, I’m writing about a broad topic. I found that most attorneys I talk to enjoy the opportunity to talk about their area of expertise, mull on what might happen in their practice area, or the effects of regulation or tax code.
Lawbook: What do lawyers and investment bankers need to know about you?
Nushin: I cover things I don’t have an academic background in so I rely a lot on my sources to explain things to me, and I like to interview multiple sources for a single story to get different perspectives – both for myself and my readers. From my experience, I’ve found that the smartest people I’ve met are those that can clearly explain things without legal or financial jargon. I often start off with a set of questions and will usually call or email back with followup questions.
Lawbook: What advice do you have for law firms and financial advisors if they want to pitch article ideas to you?
Nushin: I’m always interested in learning about trends and issues that you’re seeing that are not currently being covered. If there is a particular transaction or deal and you think it is worth writing about, what is different or noteworthy about it? I always prefer personal emails over press releases.
Lawbook: What do you do for fun?
Nushin: I love live theater at Houston’s Alley Theater or Theater Under the Stars. I also like camping, hiking and being outdoors with my kids. Last year, we shot a promotional video for the Utah Board of Tourism for white water rafting. Our goal is to visit every national park.
Lawbook: What are your three favorite books?
Nushin: My favorite books are always changing, though Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is always up there. Earlier this year, I read Color of Law by Richard Rothstein, and I highly recommend to everyone. It’s a bit academic in tone, but he does a phenomenal job explaining federal, state and local laws and policies that led to housing discrimination across the U.S. Bad Blood by John Carreyrou is another recent favorite. It’s a nonfiction book about the blood testing company, Theranos. It reads like an action novel. I couldn’t put it down.
Editor’s note: You can contact Nushin Huq via email at nushin.huq@texaslawbook.net.