Kene Ilochonwu, from Otolo Nnewi, is the first Black man in 113 years to be elected as a Bencher at the Law Society of Alberta, Canada.
He earned his LL.B (Bachelor of Laws) from Abia State University in 1997 and was called to the Nigeria Bar after graduating from the Nigerian Law School, Abuja, in 2000.
He later relocated to Scotland, where he obtained a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Information Technology and Telecommunications Law from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, in 2004.
In 2007, he moved to Canada, where he worked in the oil and gas sector as a supply chain professional in Fort McMurray and Calgary, Alberta. In 2017, he joined Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP as an Associate, practising corporate, commercial, and energy law.
In 2021, he made global headlines after becoming the first Black Bencher in the 113-year history of the Law Society of Alberta. He was officially sworn in on February 25, 2021.
In addition to being a distinguished member at the Alberta bar, Kene is an armoured solider with the King’s own regiment Calgary.
Beyond his legal career, Kene is deeply committed to community development. He is the co-founder and board director of the Calgary Black Chambers (CBC), which has awarded over $350,000 in scholarships to about 80 Black students and has mentored over 300 students since its inception.
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