By Robert Schlesinger
Dean’s Cabinet
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winter 2025
Photographs from left: Michael J. Clarke, Adobe
When Abim Kolawole, JD ’95, visited Suffolk Law as a prospective student, he was struck by one thing: opportunity. Educated in Nigeria, Kolawole could have found a large, urban law school in an unfamiliar country overwhelming. Instead, he was inspired by Suffolk’s flexibility and accessibility. This foundation served him well: Kolawole is now the chief audit executive at Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
"It captivated me that people worked while getting a law degree in a night program,” he says. “It struck me, in terms of opportunity. Suffolk wants to provide access to legal education for first-generation students and working professionals. It’s unique.”
He’s thankful that Suffolk allowed him to graduate in two years instead of three, with law credits that transferred from his legal studies in Africa.
“The value proposition was huge, especially from a student loan standpoint,” Kolawole says. “Suffolk gave value to a Nigerian legal education that some other schools might have unfairly and reflexively dismissed.”
Now, he’s passionate about supporting future law students. He was motivated to partner with Suffolk Law after a congratulatory note from Suffolk President Marisa Kelly and Dean Andrew Perlman on his promotion at Northwestern Mutual. Perlman flew to Milwaukee to meet with Kolawole to reconnect.
Building personal relationships, as Dean Perlman does, takes time and energy, Kolawole says. “And I’m one out of many. I chalk that up to the dean’s leadership. His efforts give me confidence that the Law School is in the right hands.” In addition to making a $75,000 gift, Kolawole hopes to mentor students interested in similar career paths.
“I didn’t have the pedigree that most other people have,” Kolawole says. “I had to swim upstream. Suffolk gave me opportunity, and I’ve been able to build on the base of that legal experience to get where I am today. Now, I have a strong desire to give back to a place that has enabled me to be successful.”
Photograph courtesy of Abim Kolawole
