Haramaya University College of Law Strengthens Partnership with Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago, Illinois, USA
The Haramaya University College of Law representative, warmly welcomed and held discussion with US delegation from the Northwestern University School of Law from Chicago, Illinois, USA at the Oromia Supreme Court Headquarters in Addis Ababa.
The College of Law Dean delegate Mr. Chala Yuye, Coordinator of the College’s Free Legal Aid Service Program, attended the U.S. delegation meeting led by H.E. Prof. Thomas F. Geraghty, Class of 1967, James B. Haddad Professor of Law and Director Emeritus of the Bluhm Legal Clinic. The meeting focused on strengthening long-standing academic and professional ties between Haramaya University College of Law and Northwestern University School of Law, particularly in the areas of clinical legal education, access to justice, and legal aid service programs.
During the discussion, Mr. Chala highlighted Haramaya University’s remarkable progress in expanding its Free Legal Aid Service Program and Clinical Legal Education initiatives, which together represent one of the largest university-based justice outreach systems in Ethiopia. Currently, the College operates 56 legal aid centers across multiple regions with full-time legal professionals, offering free legal service for under-served and marginalized communities.
Prof. Geraghty commended the College’s continued leadership in promoting practical legal education and social justice. He noted that Northwestern University School of Law takes pride in its early role in supporting Haramaya University’s Clinical Legal Education Program and expressed enthusiasm for deepening collaboration through renewed academic partnerships, research, and joint community engagement projects. For more than ten years, the Northwestern University School of Law has generously provided financial and logistical support to various College of Law staff to travel to its Chicago, USA campus to help strengthen the development of clinical legal education, advocacy skills, and research capacity at Haramaya University.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to explore future collaborations in the form of an MOU that will further strengthen the institutions’ partnership and enhance efforts to promote justice, experiential legal learning, and community service in Ethiopia.
Haramaya University College of Law remains steadfast in its mission to advance academic excellence, legal empowerment, and access to justice for all.
Haramaya University Public & International Relations Directorate
Tags: academic collaboration, Chicago, College of Law, global education, Haramaya University, Illinois, institutional cooperation, international partnership, law schools, Legal Education, Northwestern University, School of Law, university partnership, USA