ENO MUJA

Happy I Took the Advice of a LEAD Alumni to Join the Program

By Rudina HOXHA

Eno Muja, a Partner and a lawyer at Muja Law Firm, shares with TRAILBLAZING MAGAZINE the learnings from LEAD Albania Program. A LEAD Fellow of Class 2021, Muja was engaged in the justice system in Albania, as a legal advisor of the Chairperson of the High Judicial Council.

“During this engagement, Muja said, he had the unique opportunity to contribute to various projects of the institution, such as the strategic plan for the period 2022-2024, the report on the status of the judicial system for 2021, the start of the screening process, etc,” Muja said.

He highlights that the education component the LEAD Albania offers to its Fellows is one of the best. “Having the opportunity to complete an executive program at Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, as part of the program, is one of those things that you just cannot miss,” he states.

Now, as a lawyer, he understands much better how such a big mechanism works “and I can implement this know-how in my day-to-day legal practice.”

Full interview below:

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us more about the LEAD ALBANIA PROGRAM.

Firstly, allow me to thank you for the opportunity. It is a pleasure to be part of TRAILBLAZING MAGAZINE.

I am a Partner and a lawyer at Muja Law Firm, a family-based law firm where we work hard to achieve success for our clients and do our best, each and every day, to foster new and existing relationships. I have been working in the legal profession for nearly 10 years now.

Last year I was also engaged in the justice system in Albania, as a legal advisor of the Chairperson of the High Judicial Council, as a Lead Fellow, part of LEAD Albania program of the Albanian-American Development Foundation. During this engagement I had the unique opportunity to contribute to various projects of the institution, such as the strategic plan for the period 2022-2024, the report on the status of the judicial system for 2021, the start of the screening process, etc.

I usually refer to LEAD Albania Program as a life changing opportunity. It not only gives you a hand on experience on decision making processes of the institution where a fellow is part of, but on the other hand, it opens the doors to a dynamic, reach and value driven Alumni group, which I believe is and will be a force to be reckoned with.

Why did you choose to join LEAD ALBANIA PROGRAM? What were your feelings back at that time and nowadays?

As I mentioned earlier, LEAD Albania has a great Alumni group. Today you can easily find LEAD Alumni in various executive roles and positions not only in the public sector, but also in the private one. It was actually a good friend of mine, a LEAD Alumni, who was very persistent in me joining the program.

Having experienced the program himself, he was very confident that I would benefit from the chances that it provided to LEAD Fellows. Today I can proudly say that I am happy to have trusted him on his advice and to have been part of the program.

Another key reason that made me apply was the fact that I was going to have the chance to be part of the new justice reform institutions in Albania. As a lawyer, I believe that it is very important to understand how the system works also from the other side in order to have a 360-degree perspective. Additionally, the education component that the LEAD Albania has to offer to its Fellows is one of the best. Having the opportunity to complete an executive program at Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, as part of the program, is one of those things that you just cannot miss.

Last, but not least in relation to this question, I would like to add that after finishing the program, one is left with an unavoidable feeling of growth in the professional and personal aspect. During the program, Fellows interact continuously with each-other, like pieces of a puzzle, which when put together fit perfectly and give you a great image on how the future can be.

What initiatives were you part of since you joined the LEAD Albania Program and how they have influenced your job as a lawyer? Being part of the cabinet of the Chairperson of the High Judicial Council during the program I had the chance to observe the dynamics of a new justice institution in Albania and more specifically that of a collegial governing body of the judicial system.

I was very warmly welcomed by the colleagues of the institution and was directly involved with the institutions’ projects. The High Judicial Council is continuously under an intensive workload and especially during these years, when the system is undergoing a total territorial reform.

At the time, one of the projects that I was involved with was reporting the status of the system for 2021. Such experience gave me the necessary understanding of the complexity of the system if seen from the inside. Now, as a lawyer, I understand much better how such a big mechanism works and I can implement this know-how in my day-to-day legal practice.

To what extent, did the LEAD Albania Program contribute to the development of your leadership skills and to the achievement of your objectives consequently?

I can surely say that LEAD Albania program has greatly contributed to the development of my leadership skills. During the program, a Fellow has the chance to partake in a leadership training that goes on for months and is very intensive at times. Such training is performed by globally renowned experts and aims at honing the Fellows’ leadership skills. It also gives you a better understanding of what being a leader means and how you can put that into practice every day.

Additionally, the Executive Program that I had the chance to complete in Harvard Kennedy School, also dealt with leadership and how to adapt to continuously changing situations.

Each Fellow can apply such knowledge during the program when facing challenges and difficulties in the institutions where they have been appointed at.

On the other hand, such trainings and know-how have helped me reach my objectives in my day-to-day work and have also helped me manage challenging situations. Being a lawyer and part of a law firm in Albania, I have to always be attentive to a dynamic environment, be it in terms of laws that are continuously changing, a judicial system that is facing difficulties at the moment in terms of human capacities, and also to client’s demands, to which you need to offer solutions as best as you can while at the same time considering the challenges that lay ahead. Therefore, having gained a few tips along the program in this regard, surely helps a lot.

How do you feel about the legal profession so far?

I love the legal profession. I love being a lawyer. As I mentioned earlier, a lawyer needs to be always alert. It’s like playing a game of chess, during which you have to continuously think 2, 3, 4 steps ahead of the game.

I am used to being in constant pressure and having to perform. I believe that pressure is a privilege in our line of work and to me personally, it brings out the best of me.

I also believe that there is no profession without its package of challenges. However, the best that one can do is think positive and try to be solution oriented.

How would you deem the LEAD Program in your career? How would you describe it to the prospective fellows of this program? Well, I said it earlier, LEAD Albania program is a life changing opportunity. I truly believe that, having experienced it firsthand.

I am a strong promoter of the program and try to convince as many professionals to apply and give it a chance. So, to all the prospective Fellows out there, I would like to say buckle up, because the program tends to catapult you professionally to heights that you maybe didn’t even know that you were aiming at.