Makerere Law Society President Recognized For His Leadership Skills

The President Makerere Law Society Mr. Grace Waiswa has been elected Secretary General of the Federation of African Law Students(FALAS), an umbrella body for undergraduate Law students in Africa.

During the recently concluded African Law Students Association Annual International Conference held in Accra Ghana, Grace Waiswa also received a Leadership Icon Award for his outstanding leadership qualities exhibited in the past year and the impact it had on the rest of law students in Africa.

The President MLS extended his appreciation to the School Administration, DLA Piper who made it possible for him to represent Makerere University School of Law at the Federation of African Law Students Association Annual International Conference

He, together with his team spearheaded the launch of the #MLSat50 Anniversary Celebrations during which he is credited for inviting dignitaries and student leaders from all across Africa and engaging Law Student Union Presidents from The University of the Gambia Law School, the Strathmore Law School and other African Countries on the Role of Students in a Contemporary Democracy.

The Deputy Attorney General of Ghana urged African students to participate in Legal Aid Programs to contribute to the improvement of access to justice in Africa.  Law Students were further encouraged to aim at providing legal aid services to the poor who were not able to afford these services and to cultivate an African Spirit for the furtherance of development of legal industry in Africa.  It was discussed that one of the ways to solve the gap of access to justice Among Africans was to encourage young lawyers to not only focus on practicing in urban areas but to avail their services to the rural areas of Africa.

During the Conference, African Law Students were advised to embrace trainings in alternative dispute resolution Mechanisms and diversify their knowledge of career opportunities in the legal field so as to be a generation of lawyers who would be a part of the solution to the prevalent problem of case backlog and also be able to adjust to the ever changing cultures of law and practice.

The conference focused on Redefining Law and Governance in Africa, Legal Education, Justice Systems & Formidable Institutions in Perspective. Discussions also centered on the need for integration of law schools on the continent to foster student oriented exchange programs.