Shubhra Shivpuri has launched Support for Human Rights Intervention in Elections and Legal Defense (SHIELD), a human rights and pro bono legal defense nonprofit working in Zambia to protect free speech and support people targeted for political expression.

In addition to defending people arrested or detained for speaking out against government abuses, SHIELD tracks arrests and detentions and helps bring public attention to abuses.

The work grew out of Shivpuri’s pro bono service with the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in Zambia. After that program lost funding, she and a Zambian human rights lawyer continued the effort independently, building a network of pro bono lawyers and advocates prepared to respond quickly when individuals are detained. SL