Law: Life After the LLM
Navigating Opportunities for International Lawyers
Thursday, July 31
2-3:30 pm ET
Virtual
Pursuing a Master of Laws (LLM) in the U.S. legal system offers international students a transformative academic and professional experience. However, many students return home or move on from the program without a clear understanding of how to maximize the impact of their degree. There remains a pressing need for structured guidance, peer-to-peer engagement, and relatable success stories to support graduates of Cincinnati Law's LLM program in finding their footing post-graduation.
This virtual experience is led by Gwenelyne Achu-Sakwe '16 and Stephen Yona Mudibo '20 aims to fill that gap by offering practical insights, shared experiences, and career pathways available to LLM graduates upon their return home or relocation elsewhere. The session is designed to inspire, empower, and connect future and recent graduates with alumni who have successfully transitioned into impactfullegal careers.
Gwenelyne Sakwe (née Achu) '16
Gwenelyne Sakwe (née Achu) is a dual-qualified lawyer licensed in Nigeria and Cameroon. She currently serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Law and Innovation in Kigali, Rwanda, a Pan-African think tank dedicated to advancing sustainable development through legal innovation. In this capacity, she leads strategic research and provides policy advice on areas such as regulatory reform, access to justice, and capacity building.
With over nine years of cross-border experience, Gwenelyne has worked across Africa and the United States in corporate legal advisory, litigation, legal innovation, and institutional reform. She has held leadership and advisory roles in several organizations, including as a Partner at Greenhills Partners Law Firm in Cameroon, where she led the commercial law practice and litigation. She also served as a Legal Consultant at Bold Entrepreneur Africa Ltd, advising startups on compliance and investor readiness.
Her experience extends to project finance, private equity, and venture capital transactions, having worked with ALP NG & CO and Epena Law Firm in Nigeria. Earlier in her career, Gwenelyne was a Legal Analyst and Compliance Assistant at Kulik Law Firm, P.C., in New York, supporting contract review, legal research, and compliance management. She also contributed to regulatory research during her tenure as a Legal Extern at Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Stephen Yona Mudibo '20
Stephen currently serves as the Head of the Legal Unit at Qona DT Sacco Limited (formerly Safaricom Sacco Limited), one of the leading Savings and Credit Cooperatives in East and Central Africa.
Prior to his time at UC Law, Stephen gained experience working with organizations such as Igeria and Ngugi, a prominent law firm in Kenya. He also interned at UN Habitat within the Office of the Administration of Justice from 2015 to 2016.
This program is a part of the Alumni Success Series featuring UC alumni with subject matter expertise on a variety of topics. The information provided within this program is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, medical, financial, investment, tax, or any other form of advice. The opinions, viewpoints, and beliefs expressed belong to the presenter(s) alone and are not those of the University of Cincinnati Alumni Association, UC Foundation, UC or UC Health. The information is provided “as is”; no representations are made that the content is error-free, and any reliance or actions taken or not taken based on the information contained in this program are solely at your own risk.
This event is open to all University of Cincinnati alumni, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, or any other class or status protected by applicable law.
Shelley Johnson
Senior Director, Alumni Engagement, College of Law