One pivotal moment came when he was 18 years-old and gained the opportunity to study in Uganda.

“I was working as a housekeeper as my family did not have the funds to pay school fees,” Mr Okumu said.

“A guest from the UK visited and asked why I was working and cleaning rather than studying.

“I told him I was working my way towards paying my school fees.”

Weeks later Mr Okumu learned the guest had given his employer money to pay for his school fees.

Mr Okumu began his schooling shortly after.

“I kept studying until I gained a Diploma in Law and began working with the Reserve Bank of Uganda in the legal department,” he said.

Eleven years ago, he decided to join his Ugandan-Australian wife Anne Okumu in Australia.

As a recently arrived migrant, Mr Okumu took odd jobs, including delivering newspapers in the “freezing suburbs of Melbourne”, before eventually moving to the Northern Territory in 2020 to study law at Charles Darwin University (CDU).

“I relocated to Darwin because I wanted to learn law face-to-face, but those hopes were quickly dashed by Covid,” he said.

“In Uganda I learned with paper, pen and textbooks, so I was not prepared for the demands of remote learning.

“Fortunately with the help of YouTube and my friends, I was able to quickly develop the IT skills required to complete my degree.”

During his time at CDU, Mr Okumu said he had “fallen in love” with the Territory and was now committed to raising his four children aged three to 12 here.

“I will practice here once I am admitted,” Mr Okumu said.

“I have fallen in love with the Northern Territory.

“The NT has welcomed me and my family and I intend to return the favour.”

As a migrant who has faced many challenges, Mr Okumu believes he is well-suited to the legal profession.

“It is important for people like me to be admitted because I have gone through the many challenges like my clients,” he said.

“We migrants may not understand the Australian system when we arrive.

“If I represent a client who is a migrant, I am able to put myself in their shoes and consider their perspective, but now I also understand the Australian system and its laws.”

Mr Okumu also said his identity as an African helps him to better understand Indigenous Australians.

“The Indigenous people’s culture and law, for example Yolngu customs, are similar to African culture,” he said.

“This helps me to work with that community because I understand how their system works.”

While the NT Law Society could not comment directly on Mr Okumu’s admission, president Richard Henschke said it was important legal professionals reflected the community they represent.

“The Society recognises the importance of having a culturally and socially diverse legal profession as representatives of our community,” Mr Henschke said.

“Many newly admitted lawyers have overcome significant hardship to stand before the Court on the day of their Admissions Ceremony.

“Their dedication and perseverance is to be commended, and will help guide them to be empathetic and enthusiastic advocates for their clients and for the administration of justice.”

Mr Okumu was admitted at the Supreme Court in Darwin on Tuesday along with nine other budding lawyers.