Dentons Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals (CAUFP), is thrilled to announce the recipient of the 2023-2024 Dentons-CAUFP Scholarship, Divine Tatchinda, a first-year student in the Bachelor of Civil Law and Juris Doctor program at McGill University in Montréal.

"Every year, the submissions we receive from Black law students are incredibly inspiring and underscore the talent and determination within the community," said Raphael Eghan, Leader of the Dentons Canada Black Professionals Network (BPN) and counsel in Litigation and Dispute Resolution group. "On behalf of our BPN, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Divine and all the applicants of the Dentons-CAUFP Scholarship.”

An active participant in multiple social initiatives, Divine Tatchinda has always been committed to leveraging his expertise in economics and business, along with his legal acumen, to develop innovative solutions and opportunities that benefit his community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he established a nursing staff agency with his mother, an initiative that not only provided essential services but also highlighted the critical importance of law in advocating for vulnerable populations. Divine has also been deeply involved in the complexities of legal systems in the protection of migrant workers in Québec, following his father's immigration proceedings.

Benefiting from programs like Black Future Lawyers, BLSA Canada and Avenue, Divine has received valuable mentorship from established black lawyers nationwide, and provided great feedback on ways to increase the participation of Montréal-based black students in those programs. Following his legal studies, Divine aims to be a transformative leader and mentor in the legal field, and continue helping to advance legal opportunities for black individuals.

First announced at the 2021 CAUFP No Boundaries Youth Summit, the Dentons-CAUFP Scholarship awards a CA$5,000 renewable scholarship to a first-year law student at a Canadian law school who has an interest in business law, and has demonstrated commitment to both the Black community and academic excellence.

Recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 14 consecutive years – the longest tenure achieved by any law firm in the country, Dentons continuously supports young Black professionals in their legal careers through mentorship and scholarship programs. The continued success of the Dentons-CAUFP Scholarship is made possible thanks to the support of CAUFP and the Dentons Canada Black Professionals Network and Belonging Council.

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