Providing pro bono legal assistance to make solar energy more accessible and affordable

One of the main providers of solar panels in Singapore is Solar Al Technologies. To further their mission of bringing a zero upfront cost, solar-as-a-service model to residential and small commercial property owners in Singapore, Solar Al reached out to TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global pro bono service, and was connected with four law firms Hogan Lovells, Reed Smith LLP, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, and Dechert LLP. 

Tackling human rights violations of pre-trial detainees through a call for international standards

The Global Prison Trends Index of 2022, affirms that 1 in every 3 persons imprisoned world-wide is a pre-trial detainee and as per the World Prison Brief, pre-trial detainees make up an average of 30% of the global prison population. The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) which focuses on prison and police reforms and access to information across Commonwealth countries, found numerous gaps in legal provisions across 54 Commonwealth jurisdictions which are inadequate in safeguarding the rights of pretrial detainees.

Supporting journalists to access protective equipment while reporting on conflict in Ukraine

A conversation with Kerry Paterson, Deputy Emergencies Director at the Committee to Protect Journalists, where she helps guide CPJ’s emergency assistance and journalist safety work worldwide, and to shape CPJ’s response to crises.

Researching climate legislation to support effective advocacy in Latin America and the Caribbean

Although all Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries have ratified the Paris Agreement and the majority are committed to its implementation, many LAC countries are highly vulnerable to increasing climate variability and temperature extremes. Through TrustLaw, Sustentabilidad Sin Fronteras was connected with teams of lawyers from Paraguay, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil to obtain a clear and comprehensive overview of the legal framework governing climate change in those countries and to assess how they could be improved.

Investing in climate-conscious enterprises to protect Latin America’s biodiversity

Further loss of biodiversity would be a devastating cultural and economic blow to Latin America, but this is not a localised issue – it also endangers global health, food security, and social and political stability. Calvert Impact Capital, Inc. is addressing this issue by investing in high-impact mission-driven organisations that have a social and environmental focus. By providing its investors and partners with positive financial, social and environmental returns, Calvert Impact Capital offers holistic solutions to problems of environmental degradation.

Understanding the rights of undocumented migrant women in Europe

Through TrustLaw, The The European Network of Migrant Women was connected to the legal teams from Hogan Lovells LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, Linklaters LLP, Uría Menéndez Abogados and Selma Korichi (independent lawyer) to map the fundamental rights of undocumented migrant women's in the legal systems at the European Union level and in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Spain, Sweden, and Greece.

Safeguarding personal privacy by reforming outdated data protection laws in Argentina

Data, as the fuel used by companies and governments, is increasingly transforming the global economy. Argentina had the first robust data protection law in its region, but this is now outdated and needs reform. Democracia en Red, acknowledging that the current legislation does not keep up with the digital transformation, is no longer a protective mechanism and lacks gender perspective, is working on a data protection bill to submit before the Argentine Congress. To back their arguments, they relied on TrustLaw’s support, and the legal assistance provided by nine law firms around the world to develop a comparative study on legislation on data protection applicable to the public and private sectors, focusing on the main legal aspects that should be considered to have a law that ensures privacy and protection of personal data.

Pro bono in the face of global crisis

Pro bono experience in the US: The use of virtual models facilitate pro bono

Enhancing Access to Justice in Canada through Pro Bono

Pro bono in Ecuador: Transforming Lonely Stars into a Galaxy

Pro bono in Hong Kong: Resolving community legal needs during a pandemic

U.S. Pro Bono: A Growing Focus on Access to Justice

Pro Bono in France is Taking Hold amid Crises

Brazil is Becoming a Fertile Landscape for Pro Bono After Coronavirus

A Challenging Time for Pro Bono in England and Wales

Pro Bono Yet to Go Mainstream in Bangladesh

Pro Bono Work: Providing Access to Justice in Cambodia

Closing the Gap: Implementing Law Firm Pro Bono Programmes in the Philippines

Pro Bono in India in the Pandemic: A Challenge for the Development Sector

Pro Bono Legal Services in Zambia: A Leap towards Greater Access to Justice

Interest in Pro Bono on the Rise in Colombia

Argentina’s Pro Bono Status Quo: Challenges Ahead as We Navigate the Decade to Deliver

Access to Justice in Brazil: A Permanent Challenge worsened by the Pandemic

Ukraine Sees Pro Bono Peak due to Russia’s Invasion

Pro Bono in the Czech Republic: A Patchwork Approach

Solo nature of legal work in Serbia hinders pro bono progress

Pro Bono to Bridge the Justice Gap in Nepal

Pro bono work in Guatemala: Opportunity for Knowledge, Experience and Change

Pro Bono in Spain: Responding to Coronavirus and Russia’s War in Ukraine

Pro bono in Mexico must expand to support NGO's

A Conducive Environment for Pro Bono is Developing in India

Building back more equitably in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic

As part of its work to ensure an equitable distribution of resources in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ONE campaign turned to TrustLaw for advice on how the International Monetary Fund and its member states could support low-income countries’ recovery and growth.

Tackling online sexual exploitation and abuse of women through a call for international standards

This impact story is part of a new series to celebrate the extraordinary pro bono projects undertaken by legal teams to support NGOs and social enterprises with the support of TrustLaw. All projects mentioned in this series are nominated for this year’s TrustLaw Awards.

Supporting the non-profit sector amidst Lebanon’s financial crisis

Supporting non-profits during times of crises, Samir Kassir Foundation was connected to Latham & Watkins through TrustLaw for legal advice in setting up a non-profit sister organisation in France during COVID 19 and Lebanon's worst financial crisis.

Powering affordable clean air in new markets through pro bono legal support

While solving air pollution is challenging, there are opportunities to ensure we breathe cleaner air. TrustLaw member Smart Air has committed to helping people breathe better through their low-cost air purifier. Starting with a small market in China in 2013, today they have scaled their operations and are supplying air purifiers in more than 10 countries.

Promoting credible and sustainable standards for social enterprises

Through TrustLaw, Social Enterprise Mark CIC was connected with law firms Maples and Calder LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, Morrison & Foerster LLP and Ropes & Gray to expand their accreditation assessment services for social enterprises internationally.

Offering legal support to Venezuelan migrants in the Americas

With more than six million migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees from Venezuela, the Americas is facing its greatest migration crisis in recent years. Most of these migrants and asylum-seekers start their journeys without any information, documents or the required permits to legally stay in host countries. To address this knowledge gap, Un Mundo sin Mordaza worked on an awareness campaign to tackle the lack of information and make the challenges of migration more visible. TrustLaw connected Un Mundo sin Mordaza with seven law firms to develop a research on the legal requirements and procedures migrants and asylum-seekers should follow to legally stay in the seven American countries hosting the largest number of Venezuelans or regularise their situation in these seven countries.

Protecting the labour rights of Mexican domestic workers during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the longstanding challenges faced by domestic workers around the world, threatening both their earnings and well-being. To help Jalisco’s domestic workers deal with these challenges, Parvada Estrategias Comunitarias, a women-led non-profit in Mexico, decided to create a step-by-step legal manual to train them about their labour rights. TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s pro bono service, connected the Mexican non-profit with Hogan Lovells Mexico to develop a manual that explains domestic workers the situations in which they could file a claim, what evidence they might need, and the different steps of an employment dispute they should consider.

International Women’s Day: 8 ways the Thomson Reuters Foundation supports women and girls around the world

Today the world pauses to celebrate women’s achievements and contributions to society, but, with stark concern that gender inequalities have been exacerbated by the pandemic, it is also a rallying point for the unprecedented global movement advocating for women’s rights and opportunities to be equal to those of men. Gaining or losing ground at this critical juncture, where calls are being made for a Global Reset, is expected to define the global gender order for generations to come, with irrevocable effects on humanity, society and the planet.

Contribuyendo al acceso a la salud pública en Chile

Desde hace seis años, HoraSalud ha venido confiado en TrustLaw, el programa de asesoría pro bono de la Fundación Thomson Reuters, para lograr sus objetivos y desarrollar una aplicación aplicación que facilita la gestión de turnos en tiempo real, y así facilitar el acceso a la salud pública a comunidades vulnerables en zonas remotas a obtener la asistencia médica requerida.

Supporting access to public health care in Chile

For six years, HoraSalud has been trusting in TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s pro bono legal program, to fulfil their mission and develop an app to manage appointments in real-time, facilitating access to public health care to vulnerable communities in rural areas to get the medical attention needed.

Supporting Survivors to Escape Domestic Abuse in the UK

Charities such as Women's Aid provide support to those experiencing abuse by facilitating refuge spaces across the country. Launched by rail companies and Women’s Aid in 2020, the 'Rail to Refuge' programme provides free train travel for all survivors of domestic abuse to a place at a recognised refuge, breaking the financial dependency to escape. Through TrustLaw, Women’s Aid were connected with Milbank LLP who worked tirelessly to support Women’s Aid to formalise the “Rail to Refuge” scheme. The arrangements enable Women's Aid and rail companies to expand and develop the scheme going forward.

You Don’t Need a Home to Vote – ‘Know Your Voting Rights’ guide published for people experiencing homelessness in the US

Through TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation's global pro bono legal network, the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty were connected with law firm Goodwin Procter to produce a ‘Know Your Voting Rights’ for people experiencing homelessness in the US.

'Know Your Rights' guide published for journalists covering protests in the United States

The Thomson Reuters Foundation's global pro bono network, TrustLaw, facilitated pro bono legal assistance for journalists and partnered with the Committee to Protect Journalists to release a ‘Know Your Rights’ guide, summarising journalists’ rights when confronted by law enforcement officers while covering a protest or other political event in the US.

In a Dark Hour, a Bright Moment for US Pro Bono

Expanding Uganda’s Pro Bono Initiatives to Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs)

Rise in Pro Bono Uptake Brings its Own Challenges in Nigeria

Pro Bono Work in Colombia: The Long and Winding Road Towards Institutionalisation

Could Pro Bono ‘Tipping Point’ Challenge Inequality in Brazil?

A Rock and a Hard Place: Challenges of Free Legal Aid in the Philippines

Pro Bono Helps Bridge Access-to-Justice Gap in Nepal

The Growth of Systemic Pro Bono in South Korea

Portugal Demonstrates Power of Pro Bono amid Pandemic

COVID-19 Convulses Pro Bono Landscape in England and Wales

Opaque Regulations Hamper Turkish Lawyers Embracing Pro Bono

In Ireland’s Challenging Landscape, Pro Bono Steps Up

Italian Appetite for Pro Bono Despite Regulatory Vacuum

A view from Brazil | Encroachments on media freedom

A view from Malawi | Combating fake news and the ‘infodemic’

A view from Egypt | Reporting from the frontline: the structural impact on newsrooms

A view from Moldova | Journalism’s financial free fall

A view from Kenya | Encroachments on media freedom

A view from Mexico | Combating fake news and the ‘infodemic’

A view from Zambia | Journalism’s financial free fall

A view from India | Reporting from the frontline: the structural impact on newsrooms

Working Together for Freedom of Information in Ecuador

Fundamedios contacted TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global pro bono service, for legal support in compiling a review of ‘access to public information’ best practices across the region.

Protecting Kelp Forests in Japan

Fighting Blood Shortages in Kenya

Through TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global pro bono legal service, Sisu Global Health were connected with two leading law firms - CFL Advocates based in Kenya and Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton in the United States - for free legal support to fight blood shortages in Kenya.

WHO and leading NGOs launch inquiries into sexual exploitation allegations in DR Congo after investigation by Thomson Reuters Foundation and The New Humanitarian

Global humanitarian organisations have launched investigations into claims of sexual exploitation and abuse by aid workers in DR Congo during the 2018-2020 Ebola crisis.

Protecting Slum Dwellers’ Rights in Kenya

Through TrustLaw, Akiba Mashinani Trust (AMT) was connected to law firms Pandya & Poonawala and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP to develop legal research and propose solutions to addressing the complex and contentious land rights issues faced by residents in Mukuru – using comparative models from the US, UK and India.

Ending Economic Abuse in the UK

Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) is the only UK charity dedicated to raising awareness of and transforming responses to economic abuse. In 2018, SEA wanted to better understand the impact of the UK’s current insurance law and insurers’ practices on victims of abuse. They contacted TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s pro bono service, for legal research into the matter and were connected to the law firm Cooley LLP.

Fighting Corruption in Argentina

In order to improve asset recovery in corruption cases in Argentina, NGO Fundación Poder Ciudadano contacted TrustLaw, to conduct legal research on the legislation surrounding asset recovery in corruption cases and to better understand the legal framework in different jurisdictions. TrustLaw connected Fundación Poder Ciudadano with three law firms to produce the legal reports on the legislation in their respective jurisdictions – Steptoe and Johnson (United States), Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga Advogados (Brazil) and Legance Studio Legale Associato (Italy).

Enforcing Disability Housing Rights in Argentina

Through TrustLaw, Senderos del Sembrador, an Argentinean NGO that works to promote the rights of people with intellectual disabilities, was connected with Bullo Tassi a domestic Argentinian law firm to create a shared housing experience for individuals with disabilities.

Fighting Acid Attacks in the UK

TrustLaw connected Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI) with Linklaters to produce a legal research report which is being used as a powerful tool to influence policy change in the UK.

Thomson Reuters Foundation and The Mekong Club launch resource for financial institutions in Asia Pacific to combat modern slavery

Financial institutions, NGOs and law enforcement in Asia Pacific join forces against modern slavery.

TrustLaw Hits 5,000 Members

In eight years, TrustLaw - our network of top law firms, in-house legal teams from some of the best-known brands on the planet, high-impact NGOs and innovative social enterprises has grown to over 5,000 members.

Bangladeshi journalists welcome first TRF migration reporting course amid Rohingya crisis

15 journalists from across the country converged on a hotel in the diplomatic area of the city for a five-day course run by the Foundation’s Editor-in-Chief Belinda Goldsmith and Bangladesh correspondent Naimul Karim and sponsored by the C&A Foundation.

Journalism Fellow Awarded Prestigious Prize for Investigative Work

A journalism fellow from a programme run in collaboration with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Stanley Foundation and Gerda Henkel Stiftung has been awarded second place at a prestigious journalism awards ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria for his investigative article on farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria and its impact on food security.

Using the Law to End FGM

TrustLaw connected 28 Too Many with seven law firms, led by Latham & Watkins, to lead a critical examination of the best and worst practices, and recommendations, for the formation of sound legal frameworks that will contribute to the global elimination of FGM/C.

Advocating for Supply Chain Transparency in Canada

World Vision Canada leads a growing coalition of partners promoting supply chain transparency in Canada. Through TrustLaw, global law firm Dentons was connected with World Vision Canada to conduct research on Canadian legislation on supply chains.

The Right To a Fair Trial in Latin America

TrustLaw connected Fair Trials, to seven law firms led by Hogan Lovells across ten countries in Latin America. The research conducted by the law firms provided practical legal advice for those going through a trial, as well as valuable findings on the rights and laws existing in Latin America on this issue.

Refugee Rights Through A Lens

Through TrustLaw, Refugee Council, a charity that works with refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK, received legal advice from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP on use of body cameras by Welfare Officers in refugee accommodation.

Refugee Family Reunification

Family reunification for unaccompanied refugee children is an important issue for Save the Children UK, which is why they approached TrustLaw for legal research on UK and EU law to support their programmes and advocacy campaigns. TrustLaw connected Save the Children UK with Latham & Watkins, who conducted this research and identified best practices.

Protecting Children In Uganda

In 2017, TrustLaw connected the Rape Hurts Foundation (RHF) with Onyango & Company Advocates for legal assistance in drafting a children’s protection and safeguarding policy for their staff and volunteers. The legal assistance not only led to decreased instances of abuse, but created a ripple effect throughout their community.

Conservation in Colombia

Cotton-top tamarins, known locally as “titís”—are widely recognised for their shock of white tufted hair and cheeky demeanour; but perhaps lesser known is that they are also among the most endangered primates in the world. Through TrustLaw, Proyecto Tití received legal advice to register a reserve in Colombia’s protected areas.

Thomson Reuters Foundation launches resource to help financial institutions tackle human trafficking

The Thomson Reuters Foundation launched powerful new Toolkit designed to help financial institutions fight human trafficking using data.

Four down, 46 more to go - Ending Child Marriage in the US

In May 2020, after years of lobbying US legislators and raising awareness on the issue, Unchained saw Pennsylvania and Minnesota become the third and fourth U.S. states, after Delaware and New Jersey, to end child marriage.