Amr Jomaa ’21 LL.M.: Giving Back to the World
A member of the fall 2020 LL.M. cohort, Jomaa shares his favorite Law School moments and explains what the law means to him.
Hometown: Beirut
Law for me is . . . “much more than a job. It is really my way of giving back to the world and giving back to my country.”
Before Columbia: When he was 18, Jomaa left Beirut to study law and human rights in France. “Having had to leave my country because of the political tensions in search of better opportunities . . . I really believe that a career in law made perfect sense,” he says. “It was essential that I come back to Lebanon one day and try to help bring some accountability for the human rights violations, the corruption, and more recently the Beirut port explosion.”
Law School experiences: One of Jomaa’s favorite Law School courses was International Investment Law and Arbitration with Lecturer in Law Kabir Duggal. “I came to see him at the end of the year as more of a mentor because he really taught me that there are ways to achieve accountability that are broader and very different and very diverse,” Jomaa says.
A global community: During his LL.M. year, Jorma made friends from around the world. “If I was lost in 25 different countries, I would have a home and I would have a shelter in every single one of them,” he says. “Not only is [the Class of 2021] a class of persevering students, but also a class of extremely genuine people helping each other overcome whatever difficulties they may have.”
Activities: Staff editor, Columbia Human Rights Law Review; extern, Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office; researcher, Clooney Foundation for Justice.
Next steps: Jomaa is a member of the fall 2020 LL.M. cohort and is graduating from Columbia Law School in April 2021. He will be joining Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in September.
