Today’s interview is with Gerard Mosolo, a legal research fellow currently working in the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress.
Describe your background.
I was born and raised in Binga, in the north region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). After elementary school, I went to a Catholic boarding school where I attended high school miles away from my relatives. My high school experience was challenging and positively shaped my life by making me more independent, resilient, and responsible for my own choices.
After completing high school, I studied law at the Université de Kinshasa, in DRC, where I received a bachelor’s degree in economic and social law (Licence en Droit) in 2008. Afterwards, I started managing a family business before I joined a local law firm called MBM-Conseil as a trainee associate. I was admitted by the Kinshasa/Gombe Bar to practice law in October 2010. Throughout my career, I have gained strong experience in working with international law firms to assist international companies in navigating the DRC’s business landscape. I am currently pursuing an LL.M. in international business and trade law at the American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. I will be graduating in December 2023.
How do you describe your job to other people?
I work as a legal research fellow in the Global Legal Research Directorate under the supervision of Kelly Buchanan. My job involves conducting legal research and analyses of relevant legislation of several French-speaking African jurisdictions. Based on the research outcomes, I draft letters, emails, and reports in response to specific requests from Law Library patrons, which include U.S. federal agencies and private patrons.