Sep. 28, 2021

LLM Alumnus Spotlight — Sentebale Makara

Living in his home of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sentebale Makara, ’11, is enjoying a flourishing career as the director at the law firm Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa. He specializes in construction, engineering, mining and energy disputes with experience in arbitration procedures and alternative dispute resolution. Makara attributes much of his success to his time at Mizzou Law, where he earned his LLM in Dispute Resolution. “As a direct result of the opportunities and doors opened by the LLM program, I am today a qualified mediator,” Makara said. During his time at Mizzou, Makara said he gained confidence in his…

Sep. 28, 2021

LLM Alumnus Spotlight — Jose Rodriguez

Nearly a decade ago, Jose Dario Rodriguez, LLM ’15, realized the importance of commercial relations and the need to use alternative mechanisms for dispute resolution. Now serving as legal counsel of international contractor China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. in Panama, Rodriguez credits his move to Columbia, Missouri to learn at one of the top dispute resolution centers in the world with gaining those necessary skills and knowledge. “I chose the University of Missouri beyond any other school, after a long research time, finding that Mizzou Law is not only one of the top five dispute resolution programs in United States,…

Aug. 17, 2021

LLM Alumna Spotlight: Hong Hu

After her family was involved in a land dispute resolved by court-supervised mediation when she was young, Hong Hu, LLM ’01, was inspired to pursue a career in dispute resolution. “That is probably where the initial motivation [to pursue ADR] came from,” Hong said. Thanks to her talent, hard work, and education at the University of Missouri, Hong now serves as general counsel for a large, multinational corporation in the Asia region. Hong graduated from Peking University School of Law with both an LLB and LLM before attending Mizzou for her Master of Laws degree in dispute resolution. Before moving…

Aug. 17, 2021

LLM Alumna Spotlight: Kemi Sanni

With both of her parents attending the University of Missouri for graduate school, and because of the school’s world-renowned alternative dispute resolution (ADR) program, Kemi Sanni, LLM ’08, knew Mizzou was for her. “My parents always had great things to say about Mizzou and how embracing it is with the many diverse students who attended the school,” Sanni said. “I never applied to any other schools.” Her choice to apply only to Mizzou led to her current role as ADR Programs Manager at the District Court of Maryland in Baltimore. Sanni obtained her LLB at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria…

Aug. 17, 2021

LLM Alumna Spotlight: Kuenzang Dolma

When joining the faculty of the only law school in her native country of Bhutan, Kuenzang Dolma (LLM ‘20) knew she needed to advance her knowledge of dispute resolution. This is because, as a new member of the teaching faculty at the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law, Dolma was tasked with developing and leading the school’s new Alternative Dispute Resolution Clinic. After deliberation, Dolma chose one of the leading alternative dispute resolution (ADR) programs in the world at the University of Missouri School of Law. “My experience at Mizzou Law was very enriching,” Dolma said. “It was…

June 7, 2021

Twelve Mizzou Law Alumnae Among Honorees for 2021 Women’s Justice Awards

Twelve Mizzou Law alumnae are among the 2021 Women’s Justice Awards 55 honorees, which include judges, in-house counsel, legal scholars and private practitioners from around the state, as well as outstanding students at Missouri law schools. The Leaders of Tomorrow are recognized for leadership, professionalism and passion for making a difference in the justice system or legal profession. Tori Schafer, ’21, is among this year’s honorees. The Public Service Award recognizes women who work on behalf of a nonprofit organization, government agency or the judiciary; or have made their mark in education: Betsy AuBuchon, ’00, director of government relations/deputy counsel…

May 25, 2021

Mizzou Law Alumna Judge Robin Ransom Appointed to Missouri Supreme Court

Governor Mike Parson appointed the Honorable Robin Ransom, ’91, as the next Judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Laura Denvir Stith in early March 2021. With the selection, Ransom becomes the first Black woman to serve on the state Supreme Court. Ransom also is the fifth woman to serve, joining Mary Rhodes Russell, ’83, and Patricia Breckenridge, ’77, on the bench. Stith and Ann Covington, ’77, previous female judges, are both retired. “Appointing a judge to the Supreme Court of Missouri is an important duty that I do…

Feb. 12, 2021

Featured LLM Alumna: Ongmu Tshering

When assisting a senior counsel in an international arbitration proceeding in her first year following law school, Ongmu Tshering found she had a strong interest in arbitration dispute resolution. After deciding she wanted to explore LLM programs, specifically international ones, Ongmu left her home in India to pursue her LLM in Dispute Resolution at Mizzou. “In 2006, the LLM program at Mizzou Law ranked No. 1 according to the U.S. News & World Report and thus, became an obvious choice,” Tshering said. Tshering said life at Mizzou was both amazing and challenging. The challenges came from moving to a foreign…

Sep. 18, 2020

Featured LLM Alumna: Cynthia Alkon

Cynthia Alkon, LLM ’02, is a Professor of Law and the Director of the Criminal Law, Justice, and Policy Program at Texas A&M University School of Law. Originally from San Francisco, Alkon received a BA in international relations from San Francisco State University and her JD from University of California Hastings. She had been practicing for 10 years and was living and working in Albania when Alkon decided she wanted to learn more about dispute resolution. “I hadn’t been thinking about going back to school,” Alkon said. “But the dispute resolution program looked interesting. I emailed the late Professor Tim…

April 20, 2020

Featured Alumnus: Art Hinshaw

Although Art Hinshaw wasn’t born in Columbia, he has grown to see it as his home. In addition to spending grades 6 through 10 in town, Hinshaw received both his JD and LLM from Mizzou Law and in turn, worked at the law school while serving as an adjunct professor. His time at Mizzou led him into a career in legal academia during which he has served as an adjunct professor of law at Washington University School of Law, and a visiting professor of law at Hamline University School of Law. In 2004, Hinshaw joined the faculty of the Sandra…