Become a Legal Partner
A4ID is proud to work with an extensive network of legal partners comprised of leading international law firms, barristers, in-house lawyers and legal academics, who are willing to provide their expertise free of charge.
Become a Legal Partner
Legal partners provide much-needed legal advice to development organisations, governments, bar associations and social enterprises, improving their ability to make an impact in eradicating poverty.
“Clifford Chance has enjoyed a close, strategic relationship with A4ID since the organisation was founded in 2004 and we now regard A4ID as one of our most important global pro bono clients.
We have always been impressed by the clarity with which it goes about trying to fulfil its mission and this is one of the reasons why so many of our lawyers have chosen to work for A4ID over the years, and why the Clifford Chance Foundation decided to fund A4ID’s 3 year business and human rights project in India and Kenya”
Tom Dunn, Pro Bono Director, Clifford Chance LLP
How A4ID works
When legal professionals and experts become legal partners with A4ID, we match their expertise and know-how with the needs of our development partners: international development organisations, national governments and local groups. Everything our partners undertake is in pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals – A4ID’s key objective.
For details of how A4ID establishes partnerships, please read more about our broker service.
Opportunities range from desk-based work, spending a couple of hours reviewing a contract or carrying out research, to more demanding activities, such as several days spent in-country delivering training or advising on litigation.
For a better idea of the various partnerships that A4ID facilitates, find out more about some of our past projects.
Become a legal partner
A4ID is proud to work with an extensive network of legal partners comprised of leading international law firms, barristers, in-house lawyers and legal academics, who are willing to provide their expertise free of charge.
Our legal partners include the world’s top law firms and many of the leading independent firms across a wide range of jurisdictions. We also partner with in-house teams at large corporates, as well as individual barristers or chambers. Each legal partner provides financial support to A4ID, enabling us to continue matching their expertise with the needs of development partners.
The benefits of becoming a legal partner
Why legal support is needed
The law can be a powerful tool for fighting causes, protecting rights and securing standards of living. But legal assistance is often expensive, and in many jurisdictions there are very few trained lawyers.
At present, limited access to legal expertise acts as a barrier to development. This causes organisations to struggle when defending their causes against better funded adversaries: they are often unable to secure important rights or services for the people whom they represent.
Our legal partners help development NGOs and social enterprises to address the fundamental legal issues involved in the day-to-day operation of their organisations. They advise on practical areas such as corporate governance, contracting, intellectual property and business modelling.
What Legal Partners do
Each legal partner provides financial support to A4ID, enabling us to continue matching their expertise with the needs of development partners. Not only do they provide them with pro bono legal advice and assistance, but they are also deeply committed to the long term mission of A4ID, working closely with us in helping to realise the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Legal partners provide much-needed legal advice to development organisations, governments, bar associations and social enterprises, improving their ability to make an impact in eradicating poverty.
How to join our network
Law firms, barristers’ chambers, corporations and government departments
A4ID is a charity and relies on contributions from its legal partners to continue its services to the international development sector. More details on legal partnership and the requested contributions can be found in our A4ID Legal Partner Pack.
We are always happy to come and meet with you to discuss the work of A4ID and how to get involved. Please contact [email protected].
Barristers & legal academics
If you are a barrister or legal academic and wish to become involved in pro bono opportunities through A4ID, please sign up as a member of A4ID and send a copy of your CV to our Pro Bono staff team.
Individual lawyers
Please note that A4ID is only able to offer pro bono opportunities involving legal advice or assistance to those with appropriate qualifications and insurance cover.
In the UK, for example, this means that individual solicitors cannot engage in pro bono opportunities unless they do so through their firm under the Solicitors’ Professional Practice Rules of England & Wales.
Solicitors can only participate in A4ID’s pro bono work via their firm if it has registered as a Legal Partner.
If your firm is a legal partner and you would like to find out more about the opportunities available, please contact your firm’s representative.
If the rules in your jurisdiction differ, please contact us to discuss how you might become involved.
It has been a privilege for Singh & Associates to be associated with A4ID since 2010. A4ID have achieved truly remarkable things since then, facilitating the invaluable and crucial link between NGOs and the pro bono work of legal professionals around the globe.
A4ID have introduced Singh & Associates to some of the most highly renowned not-for-profit organisations in the world – allowing us to provide our pro bono services to those that will benefit most.