Blogs

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  • May 4, 2012

    Finding the Words for Pro Bono in China

    How do you translate pro bono in China? That simple question was the theme of a recent conference PILnet sponsored with one of our partners in China, the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims (CLAPV), in Hainan—the island province off the southern coast of mainland China. PILnet, with its Chinese partners, has been gradually building the field of public interest law in China over the past decade. More recently, we have been trying to engage commercial law firms as supporters of that effort.   Read more »

  • March 22, 2012

    Putting the Law into People's Hands: Post-revolutionary Law in the MENA Region

    PILnet's Forum on Public Interest Law in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) ended last week in Tunis on an inspiring note. Participants all agreed that law in the MENA region needs to change in a simple but profound way: it needs the human touch. Creating opportunities for people to engage with the law has significant implications for legal institutions and political systems, a theme that bound together the work and experiences of the Forum’s diverse participants.   Read more »

  • February 17, 2012

    Keeping the Home Fires Burning in China

    “When it’s snowing, you should bring coal to the people.” That’s a well-worn expression in China and one I’ve heard many times in Beijing, even when it’s 90 degrees outside. I’ve been reflecting on that phrase and what it suggests about public interest lawyering since the call went out a few weeks ago for PILnet International Fellows. And I’ve been thinking as well about our closely related national fellowship program in China, which recently graduated its first class of highly promising young public interest advocates. The China Fellows are truly carrying coal through the snow, providing legal assistance to people and organizations in need in uncertain times.   Read more »

Legal Aid Worldwide (LAW) Blog

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  • February 2, 2012

    Legal Empowerment and International Development

    Stephen Golub coined the term "legal empowerment" back in 2001 and has been the key promoter of the concept since then. A renowned scholar and international expert in the field of justice and rule of law, he has been a long-time PILnet partner.   Read more »