The student body at Harvard Law School has elected Nigerian-American law student Ifeanyi Ruth Umunna as president for the 2026–2027 academic year, placing her at the forefront of student leadership at one of the world’s most prestigious legal institutions.
The election, announced by the law school’s student government, highlights Umunna’s rapid rise within campus leadership since enrolling in 2025.
She previously served as a 1L section representative before becoming co-president, roles that positioned her as a central figure in student advocacy and governance.
The Class of 2028 also elected Osaze O. as its class representative, reflecting what student groups describe as a strong pipeline of leadership within the Harvard Black Law Students Association.
Early life and education
Ifeanyi was brought up by an immigrant single mother and is the daughter of the trailblazing Professor Dehlia Umunna, a Clinical Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and Faculty Director of the Law School’s Criminal Justice Institute (CJI).
Professor Umunna is also the first Nigerian professor at Harvard Law School, a milestone that has inspired her daughter’s own commitment to law and justice.
Ifeanyi completed her secondary education at The Winsor School between 2014 and 2020, where she held multiple leadership roles, including class president and Model United Nations club president.
- In 2020, she enrolled at American University, graduating in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government and a perfect 4.0 GPA.
- During her undergraduate years, she served as president of the Black Student Union and student director in the School of Public Affairs Leadership Program, earning summa cum laude honours and induction into The Phi Beta Kappa Society.
- Her academic focus combined a specialisation in law and politics with a minor in African American and African Diaspora Studies, alongside certifications in advanced and collaborative leadership.
- Building on that foundation, she moved to the University of Cambridge in October 2024, completing a Master of Philosophy in Criminology by July 2025 as a Gates Cambridge Scholarship recipient. While at Cambridge, she served as communications chair of the African Society and held positions within the Gates Cambridge Scholars’ Council, including interim internal community officer.
She proceeded directly to Harvard Law School in August 2025 to pursue her Juris Doctor, where she quickly became active in student leadership as well as a student attorney with Harvard Defenders.
Experience and achievements
Umunna’s experience reflects a consistent intersection of public service and legal advocacy. She worked at the U.S. House of Representatives between 2023 and 2024 in the office of Congressman Stephen F. Lynch, rising from staff assistant to district representative.
- Earlier, in 2022, she interned in the office of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, gaining early exposure to legislative operations.
- Her legal and policy work has included roles with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Policing Equity, as well as an internship with the Office of the Public Defender in Maryland, where she worked on juvenile justice matters.
- In May 2023, she founded ZeEntry, a nonprofit initiative focused on bridging technological gaps in the criminal justice system by connecting justice-involved individuals with Gen Z volunteers—an effort that aligns with her academic focus on systemic reform.
Her election as student body president consolidates a profile defined by academic excellence, leadership across institutions and sustained engagement with criminal justice reform, positioning her among a cohort of emerging legal professionals shaping conversations within and beyond elite law schools.
