On Friday, November 8, 2024, the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD) welcomed its 19^th cohort of 64 students in the part-time evening Diploma in Legal Practice program. The opening ceremony featured addresses from ILPD’s senior management, who emphasized the institution’s pivotal role in preparing legal professionals to uphold justice in Rwanda and beyond.

Dr. Yves Sezirahiga, Vice Rector in Charge of Academic Affairs and Research, encouraged the new students to make the most of their time at ILPD. Dr. Sezirahiga highlighted the institution’s access to some of the top legal minds in Rwanda, stating, “We are fortunate to have many of our nation’s top leaders in the justice sector as our lecturers. For example, the Chief Justice, the Prosecutor General, the Minister of Justice, and the Secretary General of the National Public Prosecution Authority all come to teach here. Therefore, students should take advantage of this unique opportunity they won’t find elsewhere.”

As the new intake embarks on their studies, Patrick Rwigemakurusha and his fellow students are committed to embodying ILPD’s standards of excellence, which will prepare them to serve Rwanda’s legal needs and potentially expand their expertise beyond national borders.

Rwigemakurusha said, “They have shown us what they expect from us and what we need to focus on, and we will abide by it. We are ready to learn well, which will enable us to deliver appropriate justice within and, where possible, outside the country.”

In Rwanda, completion of ILPD’s Diploma in Legal Practice is a prerequisite for roles such as prosecutor, judge and advocate. With campuses in Nyanza, Kigali, and Musanze, ILPD is looking forward to helping young lawyers achieve their dreams.