Public Interest Lawyering
In order to strengthen civil society and inspire lawyers to advance the public interest, PILnet builds the capacity of public interest lawyers working in NGOs through fellowships, skills-building workshops, resource dissemination and other means. Through an International Fellows Program and national fellows programs, such as in China, law students are encouraged to develop public interest law careers, NGO staff improve their skills, and civil society initiatives have a greater likelihood of success and impact in influencing law and policy.
PILnet’s trainings and workshops help connect public interest advocates to each other across issues and borders, in places as diverse as Europe, Russia, and China, so that they are well equipped and awakened to what is possible to achieve in their local contexts. These activities are helping to build national and global networks of pioneers and leaders dedicated to using legal tools to advance the public interest.
Public Interest Lawyering News
See all Public Interest Lawyering News-
May 4, 2012
Untangling Islamic Law and Women’s Rights
Rawan Mohammed and Siti AminahWhat is the relationship between Islamic law and the rights of women? Does Sharia justify violence against women… or guarantee their protection? Speaking before a capacity audience at PILnet’s New York office on March 22, four PILnet Fellows—all Muslim women with a deep knowledge of Islamic law—addressed these questions and others as they described the legal status and the daily reality of women in their home countries of Indonesia, Jordan, Nigeria, and Palestine. Read more »
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April 23, 2012
In China, Charting a Course for Public Interest Lawyers
Public interest law is alive and well in China, evidenced by the success of the recent Chinese Style Pro Bono Legal Service Conference, held on Hainan Island 12–13 April 2012. Read more »
Public Interest Lawyering Resources
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guidelines/faq
2012 International Fellows Application
The PILnet International Fellows application for the class of 2012. Read more »
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Book
Pro Bono Clearinghouse Manual: Resources for developing pro bono legal services
PILnet and A4ID, November 2011. This publication provides detailed information about setting up a pro bono clearinghouse--requirements, considerations, strategies for success, and more. Includes an extensive collection of resources. Read more »
Featured Fellows
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Folusho Shado
- Year: 2009
- Location: Nigeria
- Area of Advocacy: Economic, Social, Cultural Rights
- Organization: Justice Research Institute, People's Advice Center
Reading and Rights in Nigeria: A PILnet Interview
PILnet: One centerpiece of the PILnet Fellowship is the legal project each Fellow develops aimed at advancing justice in their home country. Yours is already having an impact in Nigeria—can you fill us in?
Folusho Shado: The project I developed concerns the right to education in Nigeria. This is a right that's on the books here but the requirement that all citizens receive a basic education is really just an aspiration. I wanted to address that gap and find ways to close it.
The project’s main strategies involve educational outreach, advocacy, policy analysis, and legal action. A sister organization, the Orderly Society Trust, has already taken on the educational component. They’ve started about ten alternative schools in different areas and have begun a literacy program targeted at adults. Classes are free and they’re offered at times when adults are able to attend.
See Folusho's Bio »
