Laborde Earles Maritime Workers Scholarship Awarded to Cynthia Tenilola Olowu

    NEW ORLEANS, LA, October 28, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Growing up in Nigeria, next to the Naval Dockyard, Cynthia (known more familiarly by her Yoruba name, Tenilola) Olowu was inspired by her father's work. "My earliest memories of my father are of him in his crisp white uniform and naval hat, in his blue Peugeot 504, which was the official car for [Nigerian] Naval Officers," Olowu told representatives of Laborde Earles.

After considering a career in the Navy like her father, Olowu opted instead to pursue a law degree. Following graduation, she worked at a top law firm in Lagos, Nigeria, assigned to the Shipping, Aviation, and International Trade Practice group. Several years later, she now attends Tulane University in New Orleans, where she is pursuing a Master of Laws (LLM) degree through the school's Admiralty and Maritime Law program.

Olowu is the winner of Laborde Earles' Maritime Workers Scholarship, worth $2,500. In her winning essay, she details many of her plans for the future, including advocacy for maritime workers as international trade is affected by climate change and aggressive but necessary regulations.

Speaking with Laborde Earles representatives, Olowu expressed great hope in the newly passed African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA). One of her goals while studying at Tulane is to better understand maritime trade both in the United States and between the U.S. and the international community. This, she says, can be a huge stepping stone on the way to helping Nigeria and Africa implement AfCFTA successfully.

In the meantime, Olowu is active. The founder and first president of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Society at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, Olowu also served as the managing editor of the collaborative Tulane Chinese Maritime Case Project. She is also a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, a member of the Nigerian Maritime Law Association, and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK, among other professional organizations.

Laborde Earles is proud to award Tenilola Olowu with the $2,500 Maritime Workers Scholarship and knows that she will continue to be a fierce advocate for the workers who protect essential international trade.

With locations throughout Louisiana, Laborde Earles is a personal injury law firm that represents clients who have been harmed by the negligence or direct actions of others. In addition to maritime injuries, the firm also represents clients in vehicular accident cases, product liability claims, mass torts, slip and fall accidents, wrongful death, and much more.

As part of its desire to serve the local Louisiana community, which is so dependent on maritime trade, it proudly offers one student per semester the $2,500 Maritime Workers Scholarship.

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