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In a concrete-block refugee camp near Bethlehem in the West Bank, Omar Hajajra, JD ’25, grew up stateless—recognized as a citizen of no country. His father worked as a janitor for the United Nations. The family of 12 shared a small apartment, living on food rations during Hajajra’s earliest years.
Today, he stands as a National Jurist magazine 2025 Law Student of the Year, one of just five students nationwide recognized for exceptional advocacy and service. He also received the Adams Pro Bono Publico Award from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the state’s highest judicial honor for law student public service.
At 16, Hajajra’s life took a major turn when he won the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Scholarship from the U.S. State Department. His host family in New Hampshire supported his continued stay in America, and he eventually became a U.S. citizen.
Attending Suffolk Law “has been transformative,” says Hajajra. “The professors challenged me and guided me. Everything I have experienced here has strengthened my commitment to helping vulnerable people whose struggles mirror those I once faced.”
As executive director of Suffolk Law’s Ukraine Accountability Project, Hajajra led a team of students documenting alleged Russian war crimes. The group’s meticulously researched white papers have reached G7 leaders and State Department officials.
“Omar has navigated his journey with a combination of drive and humility,” reflects Professor Sara Dillon, faculty advisor for the Ukraine project. “He is a cure for cynicism. Most people look away from the hardest problems, but he just refuses to do that.”
—Michael Fisch
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Omar Hajajra, JD '25. Photography: Michael J. Clarke
winter 2026
