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Initiative for Legal Aid (ILA)

About ILA

Governance & Leadership

ILA is governed by its Constitution, internal policies and applicable national legislation, and is accountable to its membership through the General Assembly.

Governance

Independent, transparent and accountable

ILA is governed by its Constitution, internal policies, and applicable national legislation, and is committed to the principles of transparency, accountability, good governance, and compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements governing civil society organizations.

The organization functions independently of political parties, religious institutions, commercial interests, or governmental control, while maintaining constructive partnerships with public institutions and other stakeholders in pursuit of its mission.

As an institution, ILA is committed to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, ethical conduct, accountability, and good governance. The organization upholds robust systems for financial management, programme quality assurance, safeguarding, monitoring and evaluation, organizational learning, and risk management.

Organisational structurePolicies & accountability

Official signatories

  • Signature of Hon. Milla Amos, Chairperson of the Board of Directors.

    Hon. Milla Amos

    Chairperson, Board of Directors Member of Parliament, Central Equatoria State Legislative Assembly

  • Signature of Emmanuel Sumagule Benaih Swaka, Executive Director.

    Emmanuel Sumagule Benaih Swaka

    Executive Director Advocate

Statutory Registration

Registered with
Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC)
Registration number
3561
Registered as
National Organization
Legal basis
Chapter 3, Section 10 of the NGOs Act, 2016
Valid until
27 August 2027

Board Committees

  • Governance & Nominations Committee
  • Finance & Audit Committee
  • Programmes & Impact Committee
  • Safeguarding & Ethics Committee
  • Risk & Compliance Committee

Standing committees of the Board of Directors, as set out in ILA’s official organogram.

Board of Directors

Governance leadership

The Board of Directors provides strategic oversight and is accountable to the General Assembly.

  • Hon. Milla Amos, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Initiative for Legal Aid.

    Hon. Milla Amos

    Chairperson, Board of Directors Member of Parliament, Central Equatoria State Legislative Assembly

    Hon. Member of Parliament (CES) · Master's Degree in Local Government & Human Rights

    Hon. Milla Amos is a seasoned humanitarian, human rights advocate, and Member of Parliament in the Central Equatoria State Legislative Assembly, bringing over 17 years of experience working with NGOs and humanitarian organizations in fragile and post-conflict contexts across South Sudan, including five years with the United Nations Office of Project Services managing human resources and administration as a Human Resources Associate. He holds a Master's Degree in Local Government and Human Rights, and provides strategic governance, policy oversight, and institutional leadership to ILA, with a strong commitment to human rights, accountability, community empowerment, and advancing access to justice for vulnerable and marginalized populations.

Professional positions

Roles defined in ILA's organogram

ILA's organogram sets out every professional position in the organisation. Each is being brought onto the website as a full profile, beginning with the role that leads ILA's flagship legal aid work.

A portrait for this position will be published once supplied by ILA.

Legal Aid & Access to Justice Unit

Legal Aid Manager

Post holder to be confirmed

Position in the organisation

  1. General Assembly
  2. Board of Directors
  3. Executive Director
  4. Legal Aid & Access to Justice Unit
  5. Legal Aid Manager

The biography, qualifications and areas of responsibility for this position will be published once confirmed by ILA. The position itself, and its place in the structure above, are taken from ILA’s official organogram.

Positions reporting to this role

  • Litigation & Access to Justice Officer
  • Legal Aid Officers
  • Legal Counsel / Lawyers
  • Case Management Officer
  • Legal Assistants
  • Court Liaison Officers
  • Community Paralegals
View in the organogram

Further positions from the organogram will be added here using the same profile format. Every title and reporting line shown is taken from ILA’s official organogram.

Management

Senior management team

The Executive Director leads ILA's day-to-day operations, supported by senior programme and protection staff.

  • Emmanuel Sumagule Benaih Swaka, Executive Director, Initiative for Legal Aid.

    Emmanuel Sumagule Benaih Swaka

    Executive Director Advocate

    LL.M, L.P (RLA), LL.B

    Emmanuel Sumagule Benaih Swaka is an Advocate and Executive Director of Initiative for Legal Aid (ILA), providing strategic leadership in access to justice, human rights, legal empowerment, and institutional development. With expertise in legal practice and organizational leadership, he provides strategic oversight of ILA's programs, partnerships, advocacy initiatives, and organizational growth, ensuring effective and accountable delivery of justice and human rights interventions.

    emmanuel@initiativeforlegalaid.org
  • Nicodemus Arkangelo Philip, Head of Legal Aid Services, Initiative for Legal Aid.

    Nicodemus Arkangelo Philip

    Head of Legal Aid Services Advocate

    LL.M in Human Rights — Pursuing

    Nicodemus Arkangelo Philip is an Advocate, seasoned litigator, and human rights lawyer with strong experience in legal aid, strategic litigation, legal research, and rights-based advocacy. He leads ILA's Legal Aid Services, supporting vulnerable and marginalized communities to access justice and effective legal representation, while pursuing an LL.M in Human Rights to further strengthen his technical expertise in human rights protection and strategic litigation.

    nicodemus@initiativeforlegalaid.org
  • Modi Geofrey, Programs Manager, Initiative for Legal Aid.

    Modi Geofrey

    Programs Manager Lawyer, Researcher & Corporate Legal Practitioner

    LL.B

    Modi Geofrey is a lawyer, researcher, and corporate legal practitioner with experience in program coordination, legal research, policy analysis, institutional development, and corporate legal advisory services. As Programs Manager at ILA, he provides technical and operational leadership in program planning, implementation, monitoring, research, and reporting, helping translate ILA's strategic objectives into measurable and sustainable results for communities and partners.

    modi@initiativeforlegalaid.org
  • Portrait of the Protection Coordinator of the Initiative for Legal Aid.

    Protection Coordinator

    Name to be confirmed

Names, titles, qualifications and biographies are published as supplied by ILA. Where a card shows “name to be confirmed”, ILA has not yet released the post holder’s name or biography.

Work with ILA

Governance enquiries

For questions about ILA's governance, board or institutional policies, contact the head office in Juba.

Contact ILAAccountability