Ropes & Gray Supports Pro Bono Client Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association with Wildlife Crime Training Programme

In The News
January 12, 2024

A team of Ropes & Gray lawyers from across the global network has been proud to support the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) in developing its training programme focused on the application and enforcement of Zimbabwean wildlife laws for enforcement officials and judicial officers.

The project involved reviewing ZELA’s training module, contributing to a detailed manual outlining national and international laws governing the protection of wildlife in the country, and delivering pre-recorded training sessions alongside the association’s members.

Matthew Czyzyk, London pro bono partner, said: “There has been a disconnect in Zimbabwe between the provisions of wildlife laws and their application and enforcement, resulting in the weakened protection of local wildlife and insufficient prosecution of those who commit crimes against it. We are proud to have leveraged a committed global team to help bridge that gap by contributing to this training initiative, which supports and advances ZELA’s crucial work preserving the country’s wildlife.”

The pro bono team included partner Matt Czyzyk, counsel Rachael Bacha, and associates Omar Asfar, Nancy Attalla, Jessica Band, Damian Bastrzyk, Tina Chao, Terry Ha, Trea Harris, Joseph Herriges, Elizabeth Johnson, Hannah Kerr-Peterson, Emily Ma, Cormac McGrady, Reid PickettAndrew Steele, Lucy Wang, Matthew West, Becca Williams, Ben Wonnacott, Ling Xu and May Yang.

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