UNIMA Partners with Clooney Foundation for Justice to Expand Access to Legal Education and Justice
The University of Malawi (UNIMA) has partnered with the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) to expand access to legal education for young women and strengthen access to justice for women and children in Malawi. The partnership was formally launched on 15 September 2026 in the Great Hall.
The partnership will provide fully funded scholarships to 30 female law students at UNIMA -beginning with ten students this year - and establish a fully funded fellowship programme for early-career lawyers working with CFJ and the Women Lawyers Association of Malawi.
The engagement began with a courtesy call in the University Boardroom, where Amal Clooney and the CFJ delegation met the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Dr Sunduzwayo Madise.
Dr Madise welcomed the delegation and commended CFJ for investing in young women and supporting access to justice in Malawi. He highlighted the importance of linking legal education with the practical needs of communities and said the partnership would strengthen UNIMA’s contribution to justice, particularly for women and children.
He also welcomed the fellowship as an opportunity to strengthen practical legal education and provide young lawyers with experience in public-interest law.
The delegation later held a co-creation meeting with students in the Law Boardroom, where students shared their perspectives on legal education and access to justice and explored ways in which young lawyers can contribute to addressing challenges affecting women and children.
The partnership was formally launched in the Great Hall in an event that included a moderated panel discussion on legal education, access to justice and the role of young lawyers in protecting women and children.
Speaking at the launch, Clooney said the initiative would create opportunities for young women to study law while contributing to improved access to justice in Malawi.
“I am so proud to launch this new Scholarship Program at the University of Malawi so that brilliant young girls in Malawi can now study law at the nation’s top law school. I’m excited that our new Fellowship Program will help the University expand access to justice for women and children across the country – starting now and for years to come,” she said.
Through the partnership, a Clooney Foundation Fellow will be placed within the University of Malawi Legal Clinics to support cases involving women and children who are victims of violence, mentor students interested in public-interest law and contribute to research on legal remedies, including those relating to child marriage.
The fellowship will also support the development of artificial intelligence tools being developed by CFJ in collaboration with the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice to improve access to justice in Malawi.
Head of Public Law and Clinical Legal Education at UNIMA, Dr Ngcimezile Mbano-Mweso, said the fellowship will strengthen practical legal education while enhancing access to justice in Malawi.
“Legal education must connect students with the people the law is meant to serve. As such, a Clooney Foundation Fellow will help strengthen access to justice and technology, giving both the fellow and our students a unique opportunity to help women and children in their community,” she said.
The University of Malawi Legal Clinics, under the School of Law, Economics and Government, combine legal education with practical legal services, public legal awareness, policy engagement and clinical research.
The partnership demonstrates UNIMA’s commitment to advancing legal education, promoting social justice and building collaborations that create opportunities for students while contributing to national development.
