ISLP provides pro bono legal assistance to governments and civil society organizations in the Global South and in countries transitioning to democracy and market-based economies, leveraging global legal resources in alignment with client needs to support just, accountable and inclusive development.
What We Do
ISLP provides top-tier pro bono legal services to three primary groups of clients — governments, civil society actors, and social enterprises — cognizant that each represents an important tenet of inclusive development.
ISLP’s legal support focuses on the following intersecting thematic areas:
- accountability and transparency/anti-bribery and anti-corruption
- community-inclusive development
- investment and trade
- media law and freedom of expression
- natural resource management
- responsible technology
- social enterprises and innovative finance
- tax
We seek to engage where there is a genuine need for pro bono legal assistance and the opportunity to make a contribution to the rule of law and inclusive, accountable, and sustainable development. Engagements are driven by client needs and based on the attorney-client model: volunteer legal experts provide advice and guidance, while clients direct development decisions and outcomes.
Where We Work
ISLP regularly handles over 100 projects each year throughout the Global South.
Hover over dots on the map to see recent examples of our impact around the world.
News
Tribute to Dick Winfield – November 2024
In Memoriam Richard “Dick” Winfield 1933 - 2024. ISLP Newsletter Special Edition, November 2024. With heavy hearts, ISLP pays tribute to our beloved colleague and friend, Dick Winfield, who passed away on October 22 at the age of 91.
ISLP hosts two-day dispute resolution training: The Role of Arbitral Secretaries
As part of our ongoing efforts to support African legal communities and Africa-based alternative dispute resolution centers, ISLP partnered with the Nairobi Center for International Arbitration and the Lusaka International Arbitration Centre to [...]
October 2024 Newsletter
It’s been a busy start to the fourth quarter of 2024, marked by a flurry of activity with UN General Assembly and Climate Week events. So far this year, the ISLP team and over 300 fantastic volunteers have been delivering legal support on transactions and negotiations, law reform efforts, and capacity building in 40 countries. And we still have a lot of activity ahead!
Recent ISLP Publications
Global Minimum Tax Guide
Many countries will be affected by the Pillar Two Global Anti-Base Erosion (GloBE) minimum tax proposal whether or not they participate actively in the OECD–G20 Inclusive Framework on base erosion and profit shifting. The GloBE initiative creates a pool of potential tax revenues on corporate multinationals’ incomes to be collected by GloBE participating countries whenever the effective tax rate of a multinational in the country falls below 15%.
Private Investment Funds Governance Handbook
The International Senior Lawyers Project (ISLP) is pleased to make this Private Investment Funds Governance Handbook available to the impact investment community. The Handbook was authored principally by a team of seasoned private equity lawyers from the respected Morgan, Lewis & Bockius international law firm acting pro bono publico.
In 2015, the United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Hailed as a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet,” the Agenda lays out the key elements needed to achieve this, known as the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs. Our 2021 Annual Report illustrates how ISLP’s mission and work align with the SDG framework.
As the report describes, while many of our projects simultaneously advance multiple SDGs, ISLP’s overall mission to advance the rule of law and inclusive, just, and accountable development most explicitly aligns with SDG 16’s call to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.” More specifically, support to governments, civil society, and social enterprises helps to level the playing field – providing access to legal services to critical stakeholders that otherwise would not be able to afford such support. Fundamentally, we aim to contribute to positive systems change, whereby legal and regulatory frameworks governing development are made more transparent, equitable, and sustainable. Many of our projects advance additional SDGs, which we note in the project descriptions in the report.
We are proud to support and contribute to this important global effort.