Nigerian Excellence! Ifeanyi Ruth Umunna Elected Co-President of Harvard Law Student Government

Ifeanyi Ruth Umunna posing inside the historic Memorial Hall at Harvard University during her transition to legal studies. Photo Credit: Ifeanyi Ruth Umunna /LinkedIn

If you are looking for a dose of Monday motivation, look no further than Ifeanyi Ruth Umunna. The Harvard Law student body has officially elected Ifeanyi to serve as their Student Government Co-President for the 2026–2027 school year.

This isn’t just a win for the HLS community; it is a proud moment for the global Nigerian diaspora. Responding to the election announcement on LinkedIn, Ifeanyi shared: “I am humbled and honoured to have been elected 2026-2027 Harvard Law School Student Government Co-President, alongside my wonderful co-candidate Tenzin Y.! Thank you to the Student Body for believing in our vision. We are ready to serve.”

Ifeanyi Ruth Umunna and Tenzin Yonten standing together on the steps of a Harvard Law School building after being elected Co-Presidents. Photo Credit: The Harvard Crimson

Ifeanyi’s journey to the presidency is paved with a staggering list of academic and professional accolades. Before heading to Harvard, she was a 2024 Gates Cambridge Scholar, where she completed an MPhil in Criminology at the University of Cambridge. Her research there focused on international criminal justice systems, a passion she developed during her time as a Congressional Aide for U.S. Representative Stephen Lynch.

Gates Cambridge Scholar Ifeanyi Ruth Umunna celebrates earning her MPhil in Criminology at the University of Cambridge with her mother, Harvard Professor Dehlia Umunna, and brother Edozie Umunna. Photo Credit: Ifeanyi Ruth Umunna/LinkedIn

The daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Ifeanyi has always been one to show up where it matters most. During her undergraduate years at American University, where she graduated summa cum laude in Political Science, she founded ZeEntry, a nonprofit dedicated to closing the tech gap for justice-involved individuals. Excellence clearly runs in the family; she is the daughter of the trailblazing Professor Dehlia Umunna, a Clinical Professor of Law at Harvard Law School (HLS) and the Faculty Director of the Law School’s Criminal Justice Institute (CJI). She is also the first Nigerian professor at Harvard Law School.

Ifeanyi Ruth Umunna marks her first day as a Juris Doctor candidate at Harvard Law School following her election as Student Government Co-President. Photo Credit: Ifeanyi Ruth Umunna/LinkedIn

To add to her list of recent wins, Ifeanyi was also awarded the prestigious Chayes Fellowship by Harvard Law. This fellowship will support her during her Summer 2026 internship at the UK’s Public Defender Service, allowing her to bring her expertise to London, where her mother’s own legal journey began. Between her roles as a Juris Doctor candidate, a former Congressional staffer, and now a student body president, Ifeanyi is certainly one to watch.

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