Brenda Efurhievwe (Efu-rie-ve)

Brenda has a busy Immigration and Public Law practice and is regularly instructed in a wide range of matters on both a publicly and privately funded basis, and can also accept instructions via Direct Access. She accepts instructions in all aspects of Immigration and Public Law.

Brenda also accepts instructions in Civil Law, with a focus on claims against public authorities, as well cross border and personal injury claims.

Prior to joining Goldsmith Chambers, Brenda gained a diverse professional experience in Immigration, Human Rights and Financial Services. During her pupillage, Brenda also gained experience in Private International Law, including assisting her supervisor in a large group litigation claim relating to oil spills in Nigeria.

Brenda recently completed an LL.M. at Columbia Law School, as a Human Rights Fellow, where she received a Best-in-Class award for the Human Rights course with Professor Sarah Cleveland and Amal Clooney. During her LL.M, Brenda was able to pursue her academic interests in Immigration Law, Critical Race Theory, and Business and Human Rights.

After gaining experience in Asylum Casework and the National Referral Mechanism, Brenda volunteered with a number of non-governmental organisations in the UK, Poland and Greece. For the past two years Brenda has also been volunteering as an in-house barrister at Bail for Immigration Detainees, representing its clients during immigration bail hearings and asylum support appeals at the First Tier Tribunal.

During her Master of Laws degree in Poland, Brenda undertook legal research in relation to the Common European Asylum System and joined a number of debates at the EU Commission regional office. An updated extract of her Master’s Thesis was published in the Journal of Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Law.

Following the completion of her Bar course, Brenda volunteered as an Asylum Lawyer with European Lawyers in Lesvos. More recently, she also worked at Columbia Law School’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic as a member of a team assisting an asylum seeker in securing international protection in the US.

Brenda’s other interests include human rights advocacy, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, as well as public and private international law. She has been involved with a number of social justice organisations and movements as a campaigner and organiser.

Publications:

“Asylum 22: A Critical Analysis of ‘Crisis Management’ under CEAS” Journal of Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Law, (2018) Vol 32, No 2.

“A Fortress Built upon Refoulement?” The Young Human Rights Lawyer, (2017) 3YHRL.

Languages:

Polish (native)

French (communicative)