Justice in Action

The Justice in Action Pro Bono Sprint is a community day of action that brings together volunteers from different entities to work together on substantive pro bono projects. You will have the opportunity to work on projects under key areas that need advocacy:

• Children's rights are human rights
• Equity and opportunity for vulnerable populations
• Strengthening justice systems and communities

All work related to the Sprint is conducted during the Sprint. Volunteers are trained at the start of the session and then divided into small teams to work on specific assignments. The volunteers wrap their work after three hours, then come together to reflect on the substantive legal work.

Register below to join or email us if you'd like to be added to our distribution list.

Registration deadline: 28 November

Need to cancel? Email us to cancel

Projects

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE – A Violation of Human Rights: Updating Our Fight for the Safety of Girls and Women
(APAC, EMEA and Americas)

There are organizations across the world advocating for strengthened and concerted international action for an international legal instrument declaring domestic violence to be the violation of law and human rights that it truly is. Working through the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), our pro bono partners are eager to engage the law domestically and internationally to tackle domestic, sexual and intimate partner violence. Expanding on the first stage of a project we completed with volunteers in the past, we are aiming to publish a resource evaluating the state of systems that address domestic, sexual and intimate partner violence across the world in service to global campaign to secure a specific, binding international framework tailored to the complexities of gender-based violence. In this project, we are updating it to evaluate how countries are meeting the expectations of a potential Optional Protocol that would make domestic and intimate partner violence a violation of human rights. Nearly 75% of women worldwide live without the protection of a global, legally binding instrument specifically addressing violence against women and girls. A new Optional Protocol to CEDAW has the potential to save women worldwide. This project will help set the stage for this campaign by evaluating systems across the world.

For the benefit of Every Woman Treaty

Frontlines: People-Centered Justice for Children
(APAC, EMEA and Americas)

Organizations serving the needs of children across the world – legal and other needs – range from tiny NGOs to huge organizations. All of these organizations are mission-driven to empower children and save lives. In this project, volunteers will find, analyze and help link them into an international network that shares insights about what organizations do for and with children in crisis. The concept of “people-centered justice” is shared in so many corners of the world but rarely enunciated for child justice. In addition to identifying and cataloguing children's organizations, this project will identify where programs are designed to be child-centered, meaning justice for children built by children, to empower children and help them realize their rights.

For the benefit of the International Centre for Justice Alliance

Teen Moms on the Street: Right to my child, right to my mother
(Americas only)

Almost 1.5 million children experience homelessness over a year in the United States. That means that every day, approximately 150,000 children under the age of 18 are unsure where they will sleep. Among those are teens who are pregnant or have given birth to their own children and are navigating the challenges of living on the street for themselves and their child or children. Among so many risks in these circumstances is that the justice system, perhaps with the best of intent to protect the best interests of either or both mother and child, is the risk to the young mother that they could have their child removed or threatened to be removed by legal authorities. We will seek to understand the legal basis which entitles the State to remove a child from a teen mother and the mothers' rights and procedures to get their children back. We will focus on understanding the legal rights of children and young mothers in various challenging situations. We will be looking at each state in the US and some other select jurisdictions. Our work will benefit the National Network for Youth, an organizing committed to addressing the needs, rights and opportunities for youth experiencing homelessness across the US.

For the benefit of the National Network for Youth

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2026 Sprints

We have been recognized as a 2023 Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) Partner Awardee for work undertaken through its Justice In Action initiative, alongside a host of corporate clients, who share Baker McKenzie’s commitment to social justice.