The Center for International and Comparative Law

CICL Student in Focus: Akosua Asafu-Adjaye Frimpong

The Center for International and Comparative Law (CICL) is proud to present the winner of the Paper Competition on Aggregate Litigation: Ms. Akosua Asafu-Adjaye Frimpong.

Frimpong will travel to Stellenbosch Law School in South Africa, together with CICL Director Prof. Magdalena Tulibacka, to give a paper at the Aggregate Litigation Conference in June 2025. The conference is hosted by Stellenbosch Law School, CICL, and Lewis & Clark Law School. Her paper "Leveraging Aggregate Litigation for Economic Justice in Tobacco-Dependent Developing Economies: The Balance Between Public Health and Economic Sustainability" was nominated by the Selecting Committee consisting of Professors Theo Broodryck (Stellenbosch Law School) and Bob Klonoff (Lewis & Clark Law School). The funding to enable Akosua to travel to South Africa was generously provided by the Stellenbosch Law School, Mary Bartkus (Special Counsel at Hughes, Hubbard & Reed, a friend and supporter of CICL), and CICL.

Akosua Asafu-Adjaye Frimpong is a Juris Doctor candidate at Emory University School of Law with a focus on international law and policy, particularly at the intersection of government systems and private transactions. She is a member of the Emory Transactional Law Negotiations Team, a student attorney with the Turner Environmental Law Clinic, and an incoming extern with The Carter Center, where she will support global democracy and governance initiatives through legal and policy research. She also serves on the Investment Law Committee of the American Branch of the International Law Association. 

Originally from Ghana, Frimpong graduated as the first African valedictorian at McMaster University in Canada; earning an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Justice, Political Philosophy, and Law, with minors in Sociology and Globalization Studies. Her undergraduate thesis critically examined the effectiveness of international legal frameworks in protecting the rights of migrant workers.

At the Stellenbosch International Conference on Aggregate Litigation, Frimpong will present her research paper, "Leveraging Aggregate Litigation to Achieve Economic Justice in Tobacco-Dependent Economies." This work explores how collective legal mechanisms, such as class actions and mass torts, can hold multinational tobacco companies accountable for community harms while promoting broader economic reforms. The study emphasizes the importance of comparative litigation strategies and the collaborative roles of government and civil society in facilitating sustainable transitions away from detrimental industries. 

In addition to her legal pursuits, Frimpong is the founder of The Heritage Fund, a nonprofit organization focused on enhancing education and maternal health in underserved communities in Ghana. In her personal time, she enjoys fashion, writing, and exploring diverse global cultures through travel. 

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