Community Cornerstones: An Analysis of HBCU Law School Clinical Programs’ Impact on Surrounding Communities

Adeshola Akintobi is the Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation at Howard University School of Law. With a distinguished background in higher education, Shola is dedicated to driving transformative change in higher education. Shola began her career at her two-time alma mater, Hofstra University. Her passion for philanthropy and alumni engagement led her to positions as Director of Alumni Relations at Long Island University Brooklyn and Director of Development at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she successfully led fundraising and strategic initiatives. At the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, Shola demonstrated visionary leadership, overseeing Marketing and Communications, Alumni Relations, and Development. She played a key role in restructuring fellowship and scholarship programs and launching innovative stewardship initiatives, including the UDC Law Legacy Project. Shola is a Ph.D. in Urban Governance & Policy Leadership candidate, a former Humanities DC Scholar, a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., a fellow at the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute, and a fellow at the Washington University at St. Louis Social Policy Institute. She is an advisory board member of the Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy and serves on the Board for the National Association of Counsel for Children.  Originally from Long Island, New York, Shola now calls Maryland her home, where she raises her son.