Africa Regional Convening

Across Africa, civic space is facing increasing pressure, with restrictive laws, regulatory hurdles, and shrinking freedoms limiting the ability of civil society to operate effectively. At the same time, the legal sector holds unique tools and expertise that can help defend rights, advance accountability, and create enabling environments for social movements and organizations. This fireside chat will bring together both sides (civil society and the legal sector) to discuss how partnerships between the two sectors can be leveraged to protect and strengthen civic space. Speakers will share insights from their experiences working at the intersection of law, advocacy, community engagement, and highlight examples of collaboration, as well as challenges and pathways for building sustainable, impactful partnerships.

This panel of U.S. and Nigerian judges and advocates will discuss the evolution of pro bono criminal representation and effective models utilized in the United States, and it will explore whether these models can be used to help make the criminal justice system more just in Nigeria and beyond.

Public Interest litigation (PIL) has shown considerable effectiveness as a tool for demanding accountability, entrenching human rights, and challenging infamous state practices such as police brutality, mass eviction, and criminalization of dissent. This session will adopt narrative justice methodology to showcase experiences and lessons of public interest litigation beneficiaries and service providers. Participants will gain new insights into new methods and strategies of litigating for change in fast changing society.

The panel aims to critically examine the legal gaps, dysfunctional judicial systems, and repressive measures that continue to threaten civic space leaders in West Africa. By bringing together experts, practitioners, and advocates, the discussion will highlight key barriers to civic engagement, while exploring innovative pathways for reform. The session will generate concrete and actionable recommendations to strengthen protection, promote accountability, and create a more enabling and sustainable legal and institutional environment for active citizenship in the region.

This session will identify the goals and objectives of legal education in Nigeria and reflect on the impact of clinical legal education and experiential learning in training a new generation of skilled and competent lawyers committed to social justice and community service for underserved and marginalized groups.

This session explores innovative ways to leverage paid lawyers to strengthen pro bono efforts, from addressing challenges like awaiting trial detention to expanding access to justice in civil and corporate practice. Speakers will share perspectives from Nigeria, U.K. and Russia considering what models could work globally and locally.

Join an interactive session to learn about or share your experience of arranging a Pro Bono Day, Week, or other Celebrations in your jurisdiction. Practical global and regional examples will be presented of how such celebrations can encourage your legal profession to volunteer and drive the development of pro bono year on year. A breakout exercise will then allow all attendees to share ideas, challenges, and next steps for organizing such celebrations.

This training will explore how strategic pro bono engagement can drive meaningful legal reform and empower civil society organizations to navigate complex legal landscapes. Through practical insights, case studies, and interactive dialogue, participants will examine innovative models of collaboration between law firms and civil society, and how these partnerships can be structured to deliver responsive, impactful legal support. The session will also highlight opportunities for lawyers and legal practitioners to contribute to systemic change by aligning pro bono work with broader reform agendas.