Chinwe Ohanele

Chinwe Ohanele joined the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law as a Visiting Professor of Law in 2025, where she teaches in the Global Lawyering Skills program. Professor Ohanele has more than 15 years of experience as an attorney, educator and program strategist. She is the founder of a boutique law practice providing business and intellectual property counsel to purpose-driven entrepreneurs and creative industry professionals. She also serves as Senior Program Manager at the Michelson Institute for Intellectual Property, an initiative of the Michelson 20MM Foundation, where she leads national initiatives to integrate intellectual property education into curricula for entrepreneurship, business, science, engineering and liberal arts across higher education, including partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities.

Her research and teaching interests explore how intellectual property systems intersect with technology, cultural expression, and sustainable economic development, particularly for historically marginalized communities in the U.S. and the Global South. She has authored publications and delivered talks on topics ranging from intellectual property policy to creative industry entrepreneurship and has taught, moderated and presented at national and international forums, including the African Import-Export Bank Creative Africa Nexus, the Global Intellectual Property Alliance annual conference, the American Bar Association and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship.

Professor Ohanele is also deeply engaged in professional and community service. She serves on the boards of the Entrepreneurship Funders Network, the Pro Bono Advisory Council, the United States Intellectual Property Alliance and the California Intellectual Property Alliance. In these roles, she provides strategic insights on legal risk assessment, access to pro bono legal services, and the development of programs that support diversity, equity and inclusion in entrepreneurship and intellectual property ecosystems.

She is licensed to practice law in California, New York and New Jersey. Professor Ohanele earned a JD degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, and a BS degree in economics and philosophy from the University of the Pacific.