Dear ,
Part of Media Defence's mission is supporting the lawyers who defend journalists. We do this through knowledge-exchange opportunities like litigation surgeries, in-depth work on specific legal issues, and direct input on case strategy and human rights arguments.
Our global network has grown to over 300 lawyers. In 2025, we ran five regional litigation surgeries and a peer-to-peer mentoring programme, combining in-person and online activities. More than 100 lawyers took part, building legal expertise and expanding the network.
The surgeries offer an intensive, collaborative space to gain hands-on experience in strategic litigation for freedom of expression. Their real impact shows in how participants carry that knowledge and confidence into real-world cases.
We gather feedback and monitor impact regularly to keep this work effective and sustainable.
We recently published a Lawyers Impact Report for 2025, with feedback from lawyers from every continent. 94% of respondents found that joining a litigation surgery increased both their knowledge and skills in litigating freedom of expression cases.
One of the respondents said: “As lawyers working on sensitive human rights cases, we sometimes feel isolated in our struggles. But through this mentorship, I realised I am not alone.”
