News Archive

A total of twelve new Master of Laws students from around the globe began their studies at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law with the Spring 2018 semester.

Those students are:

• Adeola Abatan of Nigeria
• Tariq Alnazer of Saudi Arabia
• Fabiano Carvalho da Silveira of Brazil
• Babatunde Elegbede of Nigeria
• Darina Gerdzhikova of Bulgaria
• Yusuf Ololade Ibikunle of Nigeria
• Oludolapo Jimi-Bada of Nigeria
• Sheikh Mohsin of Pakistan
• Alex Okafor of Nigeria
• Eduardo Pottumati of Brazil
• Jennifer Thuma, Associate Director of Professional Development and Pro Bono at IU McKinney

In the photo from left are Eduardo Pottumati; Heather Grimstad, '15, Student Coordinator for the M.J. Program, China Scholars, and Study Abroad at IU McKinney; Associate Director of Graduate Programs Perfecto Caparas, LL.M. '05 and S.J.D. candidate; Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and International Affairs Karen Bravo; Vice Dean Antony Page; Sheikh Mohsin; Babatunde Elegbede; Oludolapo Jimi-Bada; Yusuf Ibikunle; Darina Gerdzhikova; Alex Okafor; Dean Andrew R. Klein; Fabiano Carvalho da Silveira; Adeola Abatan; Tariq Alnazer; and Jennifer Thuma.

What follows are brief biographies from students who wished to share their stories:

Adeola Abatan received her law degree from Babcock University in Nigeria in 2011. She was called to the Nigerian bar and licensed to practice as a barrister and solicitor in November 2012. She practiced administrative law and legal compliance before deciding to pursue an LL.M. at IU McKinney. Domestic violence, child abuse, child labor, child marriage, and sexual assaults are some of the social injustices that inspired her interest in human rights law, she said.

Tariq Alnazer received a bachelor degree of law in 2016 from King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. Alnazer then traveled to the United States, and studied English at IUPUI's School of Liberal Arts. Alnazer is studying the International Human Rights Law track, and plans to pursue a career in human rights law after graduation. "There are many around the world whose basic rights are being neglected and infringed upon," Alnazer said. "Humans may be killed based on religion or sexual orientation in the Middle East. I believe that is not fair and we need to stop it. Only with education and awareness can we make a change."

Darina Yahkova Gerdzhikova received a law degree and a master's degree in law in Bulgaria before working in Greece for a time. She then received an international law degree in the Netherlands, and afterward went to work on a two-year internship at the International Law Institute in Washington, D.C. She is pursuing the Corporate and Commercial Law LL.M. track at IU McKinney.

Dolapo Jimi-Bada received her law degree in Nigeria, and was working in a law firm before enrolling in the LL.M. program at IU McKinney, where she is studying the Health Law, Policy, and Bioethics track. After completing her studies, Jimi-Bada plans to work for a while in the United States in order to gain some international experience in the field of health law, specifically in the area of policy compliance and regulations guiding health care practice.

Eduardo Pottumati has a master’s degree in economics and environmental law at the Catholic University of Paraná, and has had scientific papers published in several Brazilian academic journals. He has been practicing law since 1991. Pottumati was a member of the International Law Committee of the Paraná Bar Association and was a member of the Advanced Studies Center for International Law and Sustainable Development at Catholic University of Paraná. He was also a reviewer of the Journal of Doctrine and Jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories. After completing his LL.M. studies at IU McKinney, Pottumati plans to become a professor and lawyer in the area of intellectual property law.

Jennifer Thuma is from Indianapolis, Indiana, and received her law degree from the University of Cincinnati and her M.A. in Arabic and Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from IU Bloomington. She has a passion for languages and speaks, reads and writes Arabic and French. She serves as the Associate Director of Professional Development and Pro Bono at IU McKinney. She taught at IUPUI as an adjunct professor for approximately 8 years in addition to her work with the Indiana General Assembly, the courts, and state government.