Dear Friends, I am tremendously proud of all that CJA has accomplished on behalf of our courageous clients in the eight plus years since I became Executive Director. It is a true privilege to come to CJA every day and be a part of one of the most talented teams of human rights advocates in the world. After deep reflection, I have decided that is time for me to step down from my role at CJA later this year.  CJA has never been stronger, but for me on a personal level, the time has come to step back from my day to day leadership role to embark on my next chapter.  Here is a message from Wilma Wallace, Chair of CJA's Board of Directors, to the CJA community about my departure and the transition process. I am immensely gratified that CJA is now the leading U.S- based organization pursuing international human rights abusers through litigation. We have an internationally-recognized and sought-after expertise in developing innovative and strategic litigation tactics to address some of the most emblematic human rights crimes of the modern era and give voice to our heroic clients. We have an exceptionally talented staff, top notch pro bono partners, strong finances and operating model, and an outstanding Board of Directors.   During my tenure and through the tireless and innovative work of our staff, CJA has grown from an organization devoted solely to human rights litigation in U.S. courts (using the Alien Tort Statute and Torture Victim Protection Act), to one that also engages in human rights litigation in foreign jurisdictions, including historic cases in Spain and Cambodia. We also now file amicus briefs in human rights cases before multi-lateral bodies such as the Inter-American and European Courts of Human Rights.  We have contributed significantly to the published body of human rights law relied upon by others in our field, and are called upon to play a leadership role in transitional justice efforts in every country where work. We have transformed the organization and greatly expanded our reach. We have tripled our operating budget, more than doubled our staff size and created an operating reserve.  We have grown from representing 56 clients from 8 countries to representing over 220 clients from 21 countries, including 188 torture survivors and 32 relatives of people who were tortured or disappeared.   The past eight years have seen many firsts for CJA including the filing of CJA's first criminal human rights case in Spain (Jesuits Massacre Case), crossing the one million dollar mark for recovery for our clients (Jean v. Dorelien) and, in our first case to reach the U.S. Supreme Court, we won a unanimous victory (Samantar v. Yousuf).  Among other significant firsts, we testified before Congress, organized the first client conference on the effects of participating in human rights litigation and launched a Transitional Justice Program which is now operating in six countries including Haiti, Peru and Somalia. We also won the prestigious Thomas J. Dodd Prize in International Human Rights.   The important work of the passionate and dedicated team at CJA, our clients and our pro bono partners cannot be fully enumerated in a short letter, so I will pause here. Every day I am struck by how powerful the justice movement is when we join together with a common purpose.   As I prepare to transition in the Fall, I will continue to lead CJA's important work and look forward to supporting the Board of Directors in the search for my successor.  Our Board Chair Wilma Wallace, has appointed a Search Committee that will be chaired by Board Secretary, Farah Brelvi.    Together we have brought CJA into a strong and stable place with a bright future.  I am confident that this is the right time for a new Executive Director to take CJA into its next era, fulfilling the promise of CJA's past successes, relationships and investments.  I look forward to working together on a smooth transition in the coming months - and to future justice work together.   Please don't hesitate to contact me directly with any questions or thoughts you may wish to share about this next stage. With gratitude, Pamela Merchant Executive Director  � � Donate.    Stay Connected.