The International Legal Foundation

12/11/2025

In Tunisia, the ILF partnered with the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) to expand the use of alternatives to incarceration.

Through intensive trainings and three months of mentorship, we worked with a group of outstanding “champion” lawyers from across the country—equipping them with new tools to advocate for mediation, conditional release, and community-based sanctions.

These lawyers are now advancing people-centered, restorative approaches to justice in their communities—helping reduce reliance on detention and ensuring better outcomes for children and adults in conflict with the law.

Below, hear directly from two of our champion lawyers about how this mentorship and training shaped their practice and strengthened their role as defenders of human rights.

12/10/2025

When women and girls know their rights, they can advocate for themselves, seek justice, and shape safer communities. On December 8, the ILF team in Myanmar distributed leaflets across South Dagon Township, Yangon to help women and girls understand their rights as part of the 16 Days Campaign to Fight Gender Based Violence.

12/03/2025

Access to legal aid matters.

When women and girls enter the criminal justice system without a lawyer, their experiences of abuse, exploitation, and poverty, often go unheard.

On the Women Beyond Walls podcast, ILF Board Member and Argentine defense lawyer Nicolás Laino speaks powerfully to what we know from our work around the world:

“The presence of a legal aid lawyer from the very beginning makes all the difference. It allows us as defenders to bring light to the abuse, the trafficking, the migration issues — the full context of these women’s and girls’ lives. That is why early access to legal aid can be the difference between freedom and maybe years behind bars.”

This is why the ILF fights for early access to quality legal representation — so women and girls aren’t punished for the violence and inequality they’ve survived.

Legal aid isn’t optional. It is protection. It is dignity. It is justice.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://lnk.to/women-beyond-walls_nicolas-laino

Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty & Status - Poverty is Not a Crime

09/24/2025

🚨 Exciting News! The International Legal Foundation (ILF) is proud to have recently joined the Justice Action Coalition (JAC)! 🌍⚖️

The JAC brings together governments, civil society, and international organizations to advance people-centered justice and close the global justice gap.

As a member, the ILF will contribute expertise defending people in conflict with the law and building legal aid systems around the world—ensuring that the justice needs of marginalized communities most deeply impacted by the criminal justice system are recognized and prioritized in building peaceful, fairer, more inclusive societies.

We are excited collaborate with partners in the JAC to drive progress toward equal access to justice for all.



Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies

09/18/2025

07/08/2025

How can justice systems better serve the needs of children in conflict with the law?

Hanen Fathallah, the ILF’s country director in Tunisia participated in a powerful panel at the World Congress on Justice with Children focused on restorative justice for children in conflict with the law. She shared learnings from the ILF’s work in Tunisia where in partnership with UNICEF, we are championing the use of mediation in children’s criminal cases.

For example, prior to 2020, mediation was not used at all in children’s criminal cases in one governorate in Tunisia, despite existing laws that allow for meditation in these cases. This resulted in punitive measures including the detention of children. Today because of our efforts, more than 35% of children are benefiting from the use of mediation in criminal cases which has led to:

✅ Reduced recidivism
✅ Limited exposure to the negative effects of legal proceedings
✅ Increased ability to determine and address the root causes of justice system contact including challenges like family conflict, abuse and neglect, access to education, and mental health needs

Rooted in the ILF’s membership in the Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty & Status - Poverty is Not a Crime, Hanen also highlighted that the vast majority of children in contact with the law live in extreme poverty. This not only makes them more vulnerable to arrest but also reduces their ability to access a lawyer—and to secure pathways out of the justice system like mediation.

We are proud to have contributed to this global dialogue and grateful to the organizers of this important convening.

Terre des hommes Global Campus of Human Rights Universidad Pontificia Comillas Facultad de Derecho USAC UNICEF MENA - يونيسف الشرق الأوسط و شمال إفريقيا

06/05/2025

The ILF was proud to convene an event on the sidelines of the 34th session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna focused on a major finding from our recent research spanning 25 countries: *Overly restrictive and onerous eligibility criteria are a critical barrier to legal aid access in criminal cases.*

Panelists at the event emphasized States’ responsibilities to provide legal aid in accordance with the UN Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems and introduced the ILF’s forthcoming toolkit, which highlights practical reforms from five diverse legal systems. The toolkit includes model legislative language, case studies, and good practices—such as presumed eligibility, simplified application processes, and institutionalized service delivery which were discussed by expert panelists from South Africa and Brazil who are already implementing these practices.

We are deeply grateful to White & Case LLP for their partnership in this research and toolkit development, and to the panelists who brought extensive insights to the conversation including Judge Martha Mbhele, Legal Aid South Africa; Alexandre Gallina Krob, Defensoria Pública da União - DPU | DPU; Anna Giudice, UNODC - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; David de Freitas, White & Case LLP; and the ILF’s own Executive Director, Jennifer Smith. We are also grateful to Brazil, Ethiopia, South Africa, UNODC, and White & Case for their co-sponsorship of this event as well.

➡️ We hope this toolkit will support practitioners and policymakers in advancing legal aid reform and overcoming barriers to access. To receive a copy of the toolkit when it’s published, please sign up here: https://www.theilf.org/legalaidtoolkit

05/12/2025

"I am writing this from Mandalay—where the damage is most severe—and the ground is still shaking...I’ve worked alongside our Myanmar team through COVID-19, armed conflict, recurring power outages, Cyclone Mocha, and now a devastating earthquake—and each time, their unwavering commitment reaffirms that in times of crisis, legal aid is not just support; it’s a lifeline: showing up in the hardest-hit places, listening to people, advocating fiercely, addressing underlying needs, and making sure that even in disaster, the rights of the most marginalized are not forgotten. "

Following the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, the ILF team has taken immediate action, working tirelessly to protect the rights—and lives—of people in detention.

04/01/2025

This past Friday, a devastating earthquake shook and surrounding areas. We stand with our colleagues, partners, and clients in mourning this awful tragedy and express our deepest sympathies to all those who have been impacted.

We are fortunate to report that all 42 members of our incredible team of lawyers, social workers, and support staff across Myanmar are safe and accounted for, as are their families. However, many of their homes and communities are badly damaged and access to electricity, food, and water is limited. Our Mandalay team has suffered the greatest impact from the earthquake, including our ILF office which has sustained significant structural damage.

While our team faces immense personal challenges, they remain unwavering in their dedication to the ILF’s mission. Though internet and phone service are intermittent and many roads largely impassable, the ILF team has been prioritizing outreach to clients and detention centers around the impacted areas to ensure that they are safe, and their immediate needs are being met.

We have already learned that one juvenile detention center in Mandalay collapsed. No injuries have been reported, and the children that were in that facility have been moved to another nearby detention center. We are concerned that this has created overcrowded conditions and placed strain on already limited food and water supplies. The ILF is working with UNICEF Myanmar and other partners to ensure aid for these children, and we are urgently beginning an assessment of detention centers and courts to ensure that the rights of people arrested and detained are not overlooked. Additionally, we are mobilizing to fight for the release of people in detention in and around the impacted areas in light of the extraordinary circumstances.

If you are looking to make a difference, we invite you to make a contribution to the ILF. Your gift will help support the immediate needs and work of our amazing advocates in Myanmar and help them to reach detention centers in impacted areas and fight for the release of our clients.

https://www.theilf.org/donate-crisis

[photos: Damage inside the ILF's office; The street where the office is located]

03/21/2025

Every day, we fight for children like Nader, not only to keep them out of detention, but to ensure they get the resources and support they need to live happy, healthy lives and prevent future conflict with the law.

Thank you UNICEF Tunisie for your support in this critical work.

كان نادر، البالغ من العمر 17 عامًا، قد أُدين بالاعتداء الجسدي المتعمد قبل بضعة أشهر، وكان من المحتمل أن يُودَع في مركز إصلاح خاص بالأطفال، مما كان سيترتب عليه عواقب وخيمة: إبعاده عن عائلته، وانقطاعه عن الدراسة، وخطر تعرضه للوصم الاجتماعي. بفضل دعم اليونيسف والمؤسسة الدولية القانونية، حصل نادر على مساعدة قانونية مجانية، مكنته من تفادي الإيداع في مركز الاصلاح و ذلك بفضل آلية الوساطة.
اقرأ قصته https://bit.ly/3FFpwZ2

برنامج بالشراكة مع المؤسسة القانونية الدولية-تونس
بدعم مالي من حكومة مملكة هولندا Ambassade des Pays-Bas en Tunisie

01/14/2025

🌍 Opportunity Available: Join the ILF’s International Fellows Program in Tunisia or Kenya! 🌍 The ILF is seeking experienced legal aid lawyers and public defenders to mentor local lawyers, strengthen legal aid systems, and support justice reform. Fellows will provide hands-on training, assist with casework, and engage in pretrial litigation to improve access to justice for vulnerable communities. Placements start in January 2025, with transportation, housing, and a modest stipend provided. Apply now to make a global impact!

More details:

Established in 2001, the ILF is a leading global advocate for the right to counsel. Our mission is to make justice a reality for poor people by fighting to guarantee high-quality legal representation for everyone arrested or detained. Around the world, we provide criminal defense services and build....

08/30/2024

The ILF’s new project in Kenya to measure the impact of quality legal aid on pretrial detention and justice outcomes is underway!

In July, the ILF and our partners Justice Initiatives Global completed an intensive orientation and training program for the lawyers, paralegals, and social workers who will be providing holistic legal aid services during the project. In line with the ILF’s practice principles outlined in Measuring Justice: Defining and Evaluating Quality for Criminal Legal Aid Providers, the curriculum incorporated substantive training on legal concepts and practice standards with extensive hands-on application through presentations of written and oral arguments, practicing interviewing techniques, and developing standards and checklists for client interactions.

The six-week program focused on a people-centered approach to legal representation. Participants examined and practiced fundamental principles of client-centered lawyering--such as ensuring the client is empowered to participate in making legal decisions that affect their life, actively listening, and centering the client's needs and priorities--and placed them in the context of Kenyan legal practice. Participants also visited one of the local communities that the project aims to serve and held discussions with individuals and community organizations to gain a deeper understanding of the lives and experiences of people they may represent.

We are grateful to our project partners Justice Initiatives Global and the Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School and for support from the U.S. State Department, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and U.S. Embassy Kenya.

Check out Measuring Justice here: https://www.theilf.org/Items/measuring-justice