For Ahmad Parpia, one of the most important lessons from law school was that learning does not end when a lecture does. Some of his most formative experiences came from the spaces outside the classroom — standing before judges to argue unfamiliar legal questions, researching areas of law he had not yet encountered in class, engaging with students from other jurisdictions, and working with people who challenged the way he understood the law. Those experiences shaped not only the kind of student he became, but also the way he now approaches his role as a Graduate Assistant at Strathmore Law School.

Mooting as a Different Kind of Classroom

Ahmad’s first exposure to mooting came through the Cindy Wakio Moot, an experience he describes as an “insatiable itch.” What began as a competition soon became one of the most significant parts of his Strathmore journey. Mooting gave him a different kind of classroom — one where the lessons came through preparation, pressure, argument, feedback, research, and the courage to stand before others and defend a position.

During his first Cindy Wakio Moot, Irene Muhoro, a Strathmore Law School alumna, was one of the judges. After judging him in one of the rounds, she later met him in the corridors and told him: “Ahmad, you really have the potential of being an amazing mooter and researcher.” Those words stayed with him. They became a quiet source of encouragement, especially during the more difficult moments that followed. Sometimes, one sentence from someone who sees your potential before you fully believe it yourself can carry you further than expected. Mooting also introduced Ahmad to areas of law he had not yet formally encountered in class. International Commercial Arbitration, for instance, is taught later in the programme, but competition preparation required him to begin researching aspects of the subject much earlier. “You could be taught a concept in class, but sometimes it’s hard to contextualise until you have actually encountered it,” he says. For Ahmad, mooting turned theory into experience. The classroom gave him the foundation, but competitions pushed him to go further — to read independently, ask better questions, test arguments, and understand how legal principles operate in real-world disputes.

Law Beyond One Jurisdiction

That exposure became even more meaningful during an international moot competition in Indonesia, where Ahmad and his teammates competed against students from the United States Air Force Academy. The encounter pushed them into conversations around the law of war, while also exposing them to perspectives shaped by a very different institutional and educational context.

It reminded Ahmad that law does not exist in one voice. Different jurisdictions approach legal questions differently. Students from different countries bring different assumptions, legal traditions, histories, and ways of reasoning into the same room. To engage with them is to realise that legal education is not only about mastering your own system, but also learning how others understand justice, conflict, responsibility, and rights. “I realised that it’s an ample opportunity to show the world who you are,” Ahmad says.

But mooting was not only about presenting himself and his team to the world. It was also about listening to what the world brought back. The networks he built through competitions became another part of his education. “The network I have built is actually really immense,” he says. Those relationships extended beyond the competition itself, connecting him with students, graduates, and legal practitioners from different jurisdictions. They gave him access to conversations, perspectives, and opportunities outside his immediate academic environment.

Making Law Easier to Understand

For Ahmad, research is not simply about producing lengthy legal arguments or filling pages with technical language. It is a way of interrogating legal positions, testing arguments, and understanding why particular legal rules and principles exist. But he is also clear that legal knowledge should not be locked away from the people it affects. “You don’t need a learned friend to understand the law. A lay person should be able to understand it without making it complex for them,” he says. Legal language can easily become inaccessible. Yet the people most affected by the law may not have the legal training required to interpret it. For Ahmad, this creates a responsibility for lawyers and legal researchers: to maintain legal precision, but communicate ideas in a way that ordinary people can understand. To him, understanding the law is the first step. Interrogating it is another. But communicating it well determines whether that knowledge actually reaches the people who need it.

Returning to Create Space for Others

Perhaps the most meaningful shift in Ahmad’s relationship with Strathmore Law School is that he now occupies a role that once seemed distant from him. He has returned as a Graduate Assistant, but he does not see the position merely as a destination. He sees it as an opportunity to contribute to the learning environment that shaped him. During his time as a student, alumni, graduates, and mentors were often willing to engage with students beyond formal academic settings. One of the people who played that role in his journey was Elvis Cosmos.

After participating in the Cindy Wakio Moot, Ahmad approached him to ask about opportunities within the Law School. What began as a conversation eventually became an important part of Ahmad’s development. Years later, Ahmad now finds himself in a position to have similar conversations with students who are still finding their way. “For me, it’s about being there for the students the way graduates were there for me when I was a student.”

His role as a Graduate Assistant is therefore about more than academic support. It is about presence. It is about creating an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, seeking guidance, exploring opportunities, and learning from someone who has recently walked the same path.

In many ways, Ahmad’s story is one of return. He found his place through mooting, mentorship, research, and the willingness to step beyond the lecture hall. Now, he is using that experience to help others find theirs. Because sometimes, the true measure of an opportunity is not only what it gives you. It is what it allows you to give back.

Article written by: Evans Ijakaa