College of Law Welcomes Spring Cohort of LL.M. Students

The spring cohort of the Masters of Laws (LL.M.) in American Law Program was recently welcomed to the College of Law. Standing, left to right, are Moamin Aljaro (Gaza), Munahi Alotaibi (Saudi Arabia), Victor Aisenberg (Brazil) and Luis Bernal (United States). Seated from left to right are Adnan Alsufyani (Saudi Arabia), Linda Gitonga (Kenya) and Fatimah Aljaroudi (Saudi Arabia).

The College of Law recently welcomed the spring cohort of the Masters of Laws (LL.M.) in American Law program. The cohort is composed of nine foreign-educated lawyers representing the legal systems of seven nations, including one Open Society Foundation Fellow sponsored through the Palestinian Rule of Law program.

“The LL.M. in American Law program continues to attract highly qualified professionals from varied backgrounds and have diverse interests in the law,” says Andrew Horsfall, Executive Director of International Programs and Initiatives. “The entire College of Law community benefits from having these foreign-educated lawyers in our classrooms and in our professional and social programs. Our community also shares in the benefits from the unique perspective and professional backgrounds these students bring to local pro bono and other organizations.”

Joining the College of Law’s LL.M. program this spring are:

• Victor Aisenberg (Brazil): Aisenberg obtained an LL.B. from the Universidad do Estado do Rio de Janiero, in Brazil, in 1993. He also received a master of laws from the same institution in 2004. Since 2002, he has been a lecturer and professor of civil procedure and civil law at Itauna University. During his LL.M. studies, he will pursue his interest in civil procedure and comparative law.

• Moamin Aljaro (Palestinian Gaza): Aljaro is a recipient of the LL.M. Fellowship offered by the Open Society Foundation’s Palestinian Rule of Law Program. He obtained an LL.B. from the University of Palestine at Al Zahra in the Gaza Strip. Since completing his undergraduate studies, he has worked with the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution, and the Legal Aid Clinic at the University of Palestine. He plans to specialize his LL.M. studies in criminal law, public interest law and human rights law.

• Fatimah Aljaroudi (Saudi Arabia): Aljaroudi obtained an LL.B. from King Abdulaziz University, in Saudi Arabia, in 2013 where she was a top-ranked student in her graduating class. At KAU, Aljaroudi was a founding member of the law club and she has worked as a trainee lawyer in a private law firm. During her LL.M. studies, she will study subjects in commercial law, banking law and international business transactions.

• Munahi Alotaibi (Saudi Arabia): Alotaibi obtained an LL.B. from King Saud University in 2010. Since that time, he has worked as a legal investigator and lead public administrator for legal affairs with the Ministry of Transportation, in Saudi Arabia. In his role, Alotaibi drafts legal memoranda and represents the ministry in local councils and meetings. During his LL.M. studies, he plans to study general courses that will expose him to the American legal system and the practice of law.

• Adnan Alsufyani (Saudi Arabia): Alsufyani obtained an LL.B. from King Abdulaziz University, in Saudi Arabia, in 2014. Upon completing his studies, he worked as a legal researcher for a technology and communications company in Riyadh before coming to the United States with his wife to improve his English. Alsufyani plans to pursue courses in technology transactions, commercial law and business law during his LL.M. studies.

• Luis Bernal (Dominican Republic): Bernal is a citizen of the United States who obtained an LL.B. from Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra, in the Dominican Republic, in 2015. While pursuing his undergraduate legal studies, he worked as a paralegal in a private law firm specializing in corporate and commercial law. During his LL.M. studies, Bernal plans to enroll in courses that will prepare him for the New York Bar Exam and hopes to eventually pursue a Ph.D.-level degree in law.

• Linda Gitonga (Kenya): Gitonga obtained an LL.B. from Moi University, in Kenya, in 2015. She has internship experience in civil litigation, where she has researched and drafted complaints, notice of appeals and corporate formation documents. She plans to focus her LL.M. studies on international human rights law, business law and commercial law before returning to Kenya to serve the needs of indigent clients in her community.

• Anas Maroof (Iraq): Maroof is a citizen of the United States who obtained an LL.B. from the University of Kirkuk, in Iraq, in 2008. While pursuing his legal studies, Maroof worked as a linguist and IT specialist embedded within the United States Army in Mosul, Iraq, working as a translator and interpreter during Operation Iraqi Freedom. During his LL.M. studies, Maroof plans to enroll in courses that will prepare him for the New York Bar Exam.

• Diego Sanchez (Mexico): Sanchez obtained an LL.B. from the Universidad Anahuac, in Mexico, in 2016. While in his undergraduate program, he performed thesis research on the Mexico’s representative democracy and he earned certificates in tax regulation and conflict management. While in the LL.M. program, Sanchez will enroll in subjects such as human rights law, constitutional law and international law.