A Nigerian lawyer, Aghoghomena Arhere, has received the 2026 Future Legal Scholar Award from the Minority Bar Association of Western New York in the United States.
Arhere, an alumna of Delta State University and a third-year law student at the University at Buffalo School of Law, received the award on October 9 at the association’s annual dinner at Forbes Theatre in Buffalo, New York.
In an Instagram post, the association said it was “excited to honor Mena Arhere with MBAWNY’s Future Legal Scholar Award at our 2026 Annual Dinner.”
It added that the event was an opportunity to “celebrate Mena and recognize her accomplishments, dedication, and promise as part of the next generation of legal leaders.”
PUNCH Online sighted a special congressional recognition issued to Arhere by United States Congressman Timothy M. Kennedy on Monday.
The recognition, on behalf of the US House of Representatives, commended her for her “exceptional contribution to the legal profession” and dedication to empowering future leaders.
She was also recognised by Buffalo City Comptroller Barbara Miller-Williams for her “outstanding dedication to academic excellence and her commitment to a future in the legal profession.” The citation highlighted her determination and passion for justice.
The Minority Bar Association of Western New York, an affiliate of the National Bar Association in the US, presents the award to law students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, community service, commitment to the legal profession and advocacy for diversity and inclusion.
The association said Arhere was selected based on her legal experience and record of service in Nigeria and the United States.
Speaking at the award ceremony, Arhere thanked the association, the University at Buffalo School of Law, faculty members she had worked with as a research and teaching assistant, her mentors and Harter Secrest & Emery LLP.
“Being recognised here in the United States tells me that work matters across borders. I am grateful to MBAWNY, to UB Law, and to the mentors who have invested in me,” she said.
Arhere obtained her law degree from Delta State University, Oleh Campus, attended the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar in November 2019. She subsequently practised at Babalakin & Co., handling dispute resolution, regulatory compliance and corporate matters.
She also worked alongside Senior Advocate of Nigeria Boonyameen Babajide Lawal on a case challenging a regulation affecting unmarried pregnant policewomen in the Nigeria Police Force, which drew attention to gender discrimination in public service employment.
At the University at Buffalo School of Law, she serves on the Buffalo Law Review, works as a student attorney at the Entrepreneurship Law Center Clinic advising entrepreneurs and small businesses, and serves with the Buffalo Human Rights Center.
She is also an active member of the Black Law Students Association, has worked as a research and teaching assistant to faculty members, and spent the summers of 2025 and 2026 as a summer associate at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, a commercial law firm in New York State.