Profile
Commissioner Cllr. Ernestine Morgan-Awar was born on 2 July 1975.

She is married, a devoted Catholic, and a mother.

Her professional career spans the judiciary, private legal practice, and public administration, through which she has established a strong reputation for excellence in judicial administration, election management, and governance.

Education

• Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), African Methodist Episcopal University, 2001.
• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, 2007.

Professional Experience

• Commissioner Morgan-Awar was appointed and confirmed as Commissioner of the National Elections Commission of Liberia in 2020.
• She is a Counsellor-at-Law and a member of the Supreme Court Bar of Liberia.
• She brings extensive expertise in election administration, judicial administration, legal research, public administration, change management, democracy, and peacebuilding.
• Prior to her appointment, Cllr. Morgan-Awar served with distinction in the Judiciary of Liberia under the late Chief Justice Johnnie N. Lewis and retired Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor Sr.
• From 2007 to 2020, she served as Acting Court Administrator and subsequently Assistant Court Administrator within the Judiciary.
• In these roles, she worked in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Justice Support Department at the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), to establish the Magistrate Sitting Program at the Monrovia clCentral Prison.
• Also, during her legal journey at the Judiciary, Cllr. Morgan-Awar witnessed the birth and official launch of the James A. A. Pierre Judicial Institute in June 2008 by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.
• Notably, Commissioner Awar led the following efforts:
• Improved access to justice by establishing the Magistrate Sitting Program at the Monrovia Central Prison.
• Facilitated the transition from defense counsel to a strengthened Public Defender system for indigent representation nationwide.
• Supervised judiciary personnel across Liberia (excluding judges) and prepared comprehensive annual judicial reports.
• Developed systems for court statistics, case tracking, and judicial efficiency.
• She also served as Adjunct Lecturer at the James A.A. Pierre Judicial Institute, where she developed the first Case Management Handbook for the Judiciary.
• Acted as Technical Focal Person for national development frameworks including PRS I & II, AFT, PBO, and PAPD.
• Commissioner Cllr. Ernestine Morgan-Awar served as Co-Partner at the Morgan, Grimes & Harmon Law Firm.
• There, she gained valuable experience in legal coordination across both public and private sectors, under the mentorship of her late grandfather, Cllr. Lawrence A. Morgan Sr.
• She also participated in international electoral and governance initiatives, including:
• A peer-review study tour to Ghana.
• Serving on the ECOWAS Observation Mission during Nigeria’s 2023 elections.
• She has completed numerous professional trainings and certifications, including:
• European Union programs on Freedom of Information and Commissioners’ Orientation.
• Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BIDGE) certifications in Electoral Administration, Institutional Excellence, and Voter Education.
• International training programs in China and Egypt focused on legal systems and judicial development.
• Specialized training in Change, Time, and Stress Management.