header-logo header-logo

01 November 2024 / Yasmin Batliwala
Issue: 8092 / Categories: Features , Profession , Pro Bono
printer mail-detail

Pro bono on a global platform

195035
Yasmin Batliwala highlights the extraordinary work of A4ID in projects across the world
  • Explains how pro bono work can transform global communities.

It is no secret that legal expertise has the power to completely transform communities around the world. But where it can be most impactful is in helping to protect the rights of vulnerable groups and individuals, address systemic inequalities, and even drive social and economic development.

In too many cases, however, these groups and individuals don’t have access to legal expertise. And that is where pro bono work is so crucial.

At Advocates for International Development (A4ID), we draw pro bono advice from thousands of lawyers across the globe to help empower communities that might otherwise be voiceless and marginalised. Our model has a tangible impact on the lives of those we support—and it also serves as a way for lawyers from all areas of the law to develop professionally and personally, and for law firms to help make a real-world difference.

In this article, I’ll

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Firm awards training contracts to paralegals through internal programme

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Private client disputes specialist joins commercial litigation team

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Cumbria firm appoints new head of residential property

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
back-to-top-scroll