Executive management

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Executive Director

Nizar Saghieh

Nizar is a Lebanese lawyer and researcher who cofounded the Legal Agenda and has been its executive director since 2011. He is also a member of the editorial team of The Legal Agenda–Lebanon and The Legal Agenda–Tunisia. Nizar is a pioneer of the use of strategic litigation in Lebanon to advocate and defend causes related to civil, economic, and social rights and liberties. He is also a pioneer of social policymaking, especially in relation to judicial independence, public property, the environment, marginalized groups, and public and union freedoms. Nizar has published research and helped draft bills on judicial independence, people who disappeared during the Lebanese civil war, people who use drugs, harassment inside and outside the workplace, workers’ rights, and various other topics.

Deputy Executive Director

Jessica Chemali

Jessica joined the Legal Agenda in 2020 as the deputy executive director. Her main responsibilities involve facilitating the organization’s strategic planning and development and aligning its funding, workstreams, and operations with its strategy. Before joining the Legal Agenda, Jessica was the executive director of NAHNOO, and she was a part-time lecturer at the engineering school of Saint Joseph University. Previously, she worked as a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she published peer-reviewed academic articles spanning the fields of artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and anesthesia. She holds a master’s degree in machine learning from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the American University of Beirut.