Inspiring Lawyers

12 January 2011

The law can only fulfill its potential to deliver justice and protect rights with the help of a passionate and dedicated cadre of advocates. That’s why one of PILnet’s primary goals is to inspire lawyers to advance the public interest and equip them with the necessary knowledge, capabilities and opportunities to do so.

PILnet works with public interest advocates throughout their careers to achieve this goal. PILnet begins by sparking interest among law students and working to enhance legal education to be more responsive to social needs and reflective of professional ethics. In addition, PILnet’s Fellows Program, as well as its national fellowship programs, such as in China, combine academic and practical training with mentoring and exposure to innovative strategies in order to equip young lawyers with the tools necessary to make a profound impact on their local communities.

PILnet also provides opportunities to work in the public interest to seasoned, private sector lawyers who provide pro bono legal services on a voluntary basis. Through its pro bono strategy, PILnet leverages significant resources from law firms and in-house legal departments of major corporations to assist NGOs and to supplement and support the work of full-time public interest lawyers.

News

  • 06 June 2013

    Nominations Open for European Award for Partnership in the Public Interest

    PILnet: The Global Network for Public Interest Law is seeking nominations for the third annual European Award for Partnership in the Public Interest, which will recognize the best pro bono legal project (or projects) undertaken jointly between a nongovernmental organization and a law firm in Europe.  Read more

  • 07 May 2013

    Three Ways Are Better than One: Building Public Interest Law in China

    Standing on the front lines of public interest advocacy, PILnet’s International Fellows in China are faced with critical questions of strategy. Is legal aid the most effective way to advance the interests of the public, or is NGO advocacy? Or perhaps engaging the private sector through pro bono? Read more

  • 24 April 2013

    Sowing Independence, Together

    Most of us take home for granted: a place where you get the life skills necessary to move out and up in the world, where you’re nourished, and, importantly, where you learn to give back. The Dacha Program, run by the Russian charity Together Fund, was created to give such a home to older orphans—some of the most disadvantaged youth in Russian society. The program represents an ideal combination of motivated individuals and practical solutions, all for a compelling cause. What more can be asked?Read more

  • 28 March 2013

    PILnet’s Mission and its Method Find a Home in Nepal

    After more than a decade of brutal civil war in Nepal, a peace treaty was signed in 2006—the same year PILnet: The Global Network for Public Interest Law welcomed its first Nepali advocates to the International Fellows program. Since then, the Fellowship has included leading Nepali human rights lawyers in every class, in the process building an influential cadre of advocates who are deeply involved in shaping the country’s constitution and its legal system.Read more

  • 18 January 2013

    Small Mercies: Delivering on the Promise of Child-Friendly Justice

    Children need more than off-the-shelf advocates. Each year, thousands of juveniles across Central and Eastern Europe come face to face with judicial systems that are insensitive to their unique needs and lawyers who are inadequately trained to protect their rights. Read more