Harout J. Samra’s connection to the University of Miami runs deep. He grew up in Coral Gables, spent nearly a decade on campus as a student, and is a “triple Cane,” having earned his undergraduate degree in 2005, an MBA from the business school in 2008, and his J.D. in 2009. Now, as he begins his term as president of the Law Alumni Association, Samra is channeling that lifelong dedication into a forward-looking vision for the school’s vast network of more than 25,000 graduates.
Stepping into the role as the University and School of Law celebrate centennials (the University centennial in 2025 and the School of Law’s in 2026), Samra is launching an ambitious agenda focused on three core pillars: engaging alumni, building community, and recognizing the remarkable accomplishments of the law school’s graduates on a national and global scale.
“We get to look back and celebrate what the law school means to our community and the impact that our alumni have had,” Samra said. “I'm very proud to be able to lead this organization this year. But it's also an important challenge. We must live up to this moment and take stock of what the law school means and does going into the next century.”
Three pillars for a new century
Samra’s strategy for his presidency is built on three pillars. The first is engagement, with a focus on bringing alumni back to campus to connect with the current generation of students. “A lot of our graduates really don't come back to campus,” he said. To change that, he has issued a challenge to the law school’s 60 student organizations. “Every student organization on campus is going to host an alum during the coming year. That could be for a panel discussion, it could be for a lunch and learn, or another event. This engages our alumni, while also providing meaningful mentoring and guidance to our students.”
The second pillar is building community. Samra plans to enhance the National Alumni Council to create stronger networks in key markets. A significant new initiative is the creation of an in-house counsel network, designed for and led by the many accomplished graduates working in-house. “This will be a network for them, run by them, which will allow them to benefit from the alumni network that we have nationally and internationally,” he said. “It will also highlight the amazing work our alumni are doing in cutting-edge industries.”
The final pillar is recognition. Samra is passionate about ensuring the achievements of the School of Law graduates are widely celebrated. "Our graduates are found in every significant market in the U.S. and at the top of their respective practices. We have a remarkable number of senior in-house lawyers at multinational companies, some of whom are at the highest, general counsel positions at their companies. We have graduates who are founders of startup companies who are doing extremely well and who are in leading roles in our governments at the state and federal levels, including the current U.S. Secretary of State. We are a national powerhouse in every respect, and we have to own that.”
A global university for a global city
Ultimately, Samra sees the law school’s success as intertwined with the city it calls home. “The law school and the university reflect the community in which they have grown in the last century,” he said. “Just as Miami has become a leading global city, the university is a leading global university.”
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