PILnet created a legal health assessment service for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Hong Kong. This assessment aims to help CSOs identify the existing and potential legal issues and operational risks in the organization and create a plan to address them. The health check enables CSOs to be better prepared to respond to a rapidly changing environment, so they can become more resilient and focus their resources on achieving their core missions of serving the community.
Topics covered in the legal health assessment include areas such as organizational structure, financial health, fundraising, and information technology and systems.
Legal Health Check Overview Request a Legal Health Check for your Organization
Step 1: Intake — CSO completes an intake form in English or Chinese requesting a legal health check.
Step 2: Review — PILnet reviews CSO’s eligibility.
Step 3: Information Gathering — CSO provides organizational information on detailed questionnaire.
Step 4: Assessment — Team identifies key issues and risks and prepares a report flagging areas that the CSO may wish to focus on.
Step 5: Follow-up — CSO reviews recommendations; if any follow-up legal advice is needed, PILnet can help the CSO submit a legal request to PILnet’s Asia Clearinghouse.
Unlike large corporations, CSOs do not have a full in-house legal and risk department to help them navigate a complex legal system and uncertainties, and often lack the resources to pay for professional help. This means that CSOs often do not know their legal entitlements and miss out on opportunities, lack adequate planning, and have to use their already limited resources to deal with problems reactively.
The assessment was designed in collaboration with Mayer Brown, and is carried out by a growing number of pro bono lawyers within PILnet’s network.
The Pro Bono Team conducting this assessment will not legally represent the CSO and will not provide legal advice. However, the Team will flag areas of concern, which can be then discussed with PILnet, who can identify available resources and help course specific legal advice.
If you have any questions, please contact PILnet at [email protected].
公益法全球網絡(PILnet)為香港民間社會組織創立了法律健康檢查服務。此檢查旨在協助組織識別其現有及潛在的法律問題與機構運作風險，並制定計劃將之處理。法律健康檢查讓民間社會組織能作較佳準備以應對急速轉變的環境，提升抗風險能力，集中資源來達成其服務社區的關鍵使命。
法律健康檢查涵蓋的主題包括多個範疇，例如：組織架構、財政健康、籌措資金，以及資訊科技與系統。
民間社會組織與大型企業不同，沒有自設完整的法律與風險部門以協助面對複雜的法律制度和處理不確定的狀況，亦經常缺乏資源來支付專業法律協助的費用。這意味民間社會組織往往不清楚其法律權利，錯過處理相關事宜的時機，缺乏合乎需要的計劃，需要被動地運用本已有限的資源來處理問題。
此檢查由PILnet網絡裡的義務公益律
為民間社會組織檢查的義務公益團隊並非該組織之法律代表，亦不會提供法律意見。然而，團隊將指出應受關注的範疇，讓組織其後可與公益法全球網絡(PILnet)討論。公益法全球網絡(PILnet)可協助組織尋求具體的法律意見及其他資源。
如 閣下有任何查詢，請電郵至 [email protected] 與公益法全球網絡(PILnet)聯絡。
