Nonye Okenwa

Nonye is a staff lawyer on the Housing Law team. Prior to migrating to Canada with her family, Nonye practiced law in Nigeria for over 7 years.

As a first-generation immigrant, Nonye has lived experience of the systemic challenges and barriers faced by racialized and low income members of the community. These experiences motivated her to join the clinic system to lend a voice to the “legally non-verbal” and to join the crusade to combat systemic inequities.

Nonye holds an LL.M from Osgoode Hall Law School and brings to CLCYR, a diverse blend of a foreign-trained legal expertise with Canadian clinic law experience. She began her practice in the clinic system focusing on Social Assistance and Housing law at the Mississauga and Guelph Legal Clinic respectively, then expanded her practice area to Education Law while at the Black Legal Action Center.  

Nonye is a committed wife and mom of three adorable children. She is passionate about young black people and serves as a youth sponsor/mentor with a youth organization focused on the black community and new immigrants.