Inside Alina Habba's Life Before She Was Trump's Lawyer

During the Turning Point USA Young Women's Leadership Summit in June 2024, Alina Habba told a heartfelt story about her poor, humble beginnings before becoming Former President Donald Trump's lawyer: "My first home when I was born was across the street from a McDonald's. And my father used to take the money that he could have and get a coke and a pack of peanuts every day so that we could survive," (via X, formerly known as Twitter). However, Habba's bizarre childhood anecdote had everyone calling her bluff, thanks to well-established details about her backstory.

For instance, before she was born in 1984, Habba's parents left Iraq for New Jersey due to the hate against Christians there. Understandably, having children and making a major move can be financially tasking, but it's clear that her father, Dr. Saad F. Habba, a gastroenterologist, wasn't down on his luck for long. In 2002, Alina graduated from a private high school, which currently charges over $50,000 per year for twelfth graders. Immediately following graduation, 18-year-old Alina headed off to college in Eastern Pennsylvania, enrolling in Lehigh University, another private school.

At Lehigh University, Alina Habba majored in political science and earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2005. After graduating, she worked in fashion, accepting a position with legendary designer Marc Jacobs. Per her LinkedIn bio, she was an "East Coast merchandiser" who focused mainly on "production." However, this was only until 2007, when the ambitious young woman enrolled in law school at Widener University, yet another private school in Pennsylvania. Here, Habba was appointed as the Secretary of the Student Bar Association. Notably, when Donald Trump's lawyer was asked why she decided to go to law school, Habba reasoned to Bloomberg: "I wanted to be able to actually afford the bags we made." 

Interestingly, the high-profile litigator has faced some criticism for her choice of school. One X user summarized the narrative: "There are 198 accredited law schools in the country. Alina Habba's school, Widener University in [Pennsylvania], ranks 158." Still, Habba graduated in 2011, moved back to New Jersey, and took up a position as a clerical worker in the Superior Court. That same year, the then-27-year-old married her first husband, Matthew Eyet, who was also an attorney. Emphasizing her ambition, just a few weeks later, Habba began a new job as an associate at Tompkins, McGuire, Wachenfeld & Barry, LLP.

Just a couple of years after tying the knot, Alina Habba accepted a position at Sandelands Eyet LLP, a law firm co-run by Matthew Eyet. Unfortunately, after welcoming two children together, the couple divorced in 2019. Their split wasn't Habba's only major move that year, though. She also signed up at the Trump Bedminster golf club and met Donald Trump, who would change the course of Habba's career and life. In 2020, the attorney co-founded her own law firm, Habba Madaio & Associates LLP, and married her second husband, Gregg Reuben. However, after just one year of operations, Habba changed tacks to officially begin working for Trump. 

Her first defense case for the former president concerned Summer Zervos, a former "Apprentice" contestant who accused him of sexual assault. Habba and Trump also sued the New York Times, several of its employees, and his niece, Mary Trump, who's since formed an alliance with several of his biggest foes, for their joint efforts in crafting a story exposing their family's fraudulent tax records. Zervos eventually abandoned her suit, and the judge threw out the case against the Times. It's worth noting that earlier in 2023, In Touch Weekly revealed Alina Habba and her husband, Gregg Reuben, have money issues of their own due to unpaid taxes.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).