Professional History: Emilia hails from Momba District in Tanzania and is deeply committed to the rule of law, social justice, and accountable development. She is a respected lawyer in East and Southern Africa with more than a decade’s experience, having: served as a senior manager in national and regional law associations; worked on case strategy for landmark human rights cases in domestic and international courts; coordinated advocacy, fact-finding, and election-observation missions; published in law journals; and advocated for greater protections for human rights defenders.

Emilia provides technical and advisory services as a legal and development consultant. Her client profile includes Protimos UK, GIZ, and USAID. She also volunteers her time to work directly with communities and community-based organizations in Africa to build their capacity to respond effectively to harmful development projects and human rights violations.

She was the youngest member of the Board of the Law School of Tanzania when she was appointed by the Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs. Emilia has served on several NGO Boards, including as a Chairman of Greenpeace Africa, and for a three-year period, on the national Human Anti-Trafficking Committee.

Academic and professional credentials: BSc Biology, Howard University, Washington DC, USA
JD Law, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Michigan, USA
M&A Certificate, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany

Programs: Emilia is an American Bar Foundation Fellow.