Ifeanyi Ruth Umunna, a Nigerian-American, has been formally voted by the Harvard Law student body to be their Student Government Co-President for the 2026–2027 academic year.
The HLS Student Government is a student organisation that works to protect student welfare, support shared student governance, and push for policy reforms that will benefit students.
Announcing the feat on her LinkedIn page, Ifeanyi wrote, “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.”
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 at University of Cambridge focused on international criminal justice systems, a passion she developed during her time as a Congressional Aide for U.S. Representative Stephen Lynch.
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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.
She is a proud daughter of an immigrant single mother. 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 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.
Big congratulations to Ifeanyi Ruth Umunna.
