Public Lecture at W&L Law to Address Transnational Justice Professor Keleboglie Zvobgo will discuss her new book, which explores how civil society organizations impact government processes for delivering justice.

By Law Communications
February 5, 2026

Professor Keleboglie Zvobgo of William & Mary will give a lecture at Washington and Lee University School of Law on her recent book, titled “Governing Truth: NGOs and the Politics of Transitional Justice” (Oxford University Press). The event is scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, at 9:00 a.m. in the Millhiser Moot Court Room, Sydney Lewis Hall on the campus of Washington and Lee. This event is free and open to the public.

Professor Zvobgo examines whether efforts to deliver truth, justice, and reparations for political violence are driven by the international community or by national governments. In “Governing Truth,” Professor Zvobgo argues that transitional justice is transnational and led by civil society groups, both domestic and international. The book draws on statistical analyses of original data on truth commissions and interviews with government officials, former commission leaders, representatives of international organizations and NGOs, and human rights stakeholders from around the world. Zvobgo demonstrates that a worldwide network of civil society groups—the global transitional justice network—leverages advocacy, technical expertise, and operational assistance to give governments the impetus to adopt transitional justice mechanisms, design them to succeed, and follow up on them with additional measures.

Professor Zvobgo is the Mansfield Associate Professor of Government at William & Mary and Director of the International Justice Lab. Her research centers on human rights, transitional justice, and international law and courts. She has published articles in International Journal of Transitional Justice, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Human Rights, and Journal of Politics, among others. She has also written for policy and mainstream outlets like Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Washington Post, and the Brookings Institution, where she is a nonresident senior fellow.