ISLP, a 501(c)(3)
organization, was incorporated in March 2000 to create a vehicle
through which senior lawyers could use their skills and expertise to
promote the rule of law and human rights.
ISLP was created by a group
of public-spirited senior partners of global law firms convinced
that:
(1) there is a widespread need
throughout the
developing world for legal assistance from experienced attorneys;
and
(2) there is a growing pool of attorneys at or near
retirement age who
have the ability to help meet that demand and have the desire to serve
the
world community.
A feasibility
study confirmed the
validity of these premises and ISLP began active programming in
September 2001.
Since
2001,
ISLP has deployed world-class legal counsel globally on economic
development, human rights, and access to justice projects. ISLP
partners with developing country governments who desperately need legal
services but are without resources to pay for them, as well as
with non-governmental
organizations and other civil society groups throughout the
developing world.
Where
We Operate
ISLP
does not limit its activities to any one region of the world. However,
we have focused much of our work over the past several years
in southern and western Africa, India, and Eastern Europe and
Russia. ISLP
volunteers also
work with U.S.-based organizations whose programs assist the people of
developing countries. ISLP's principal office is in New York City. In
2010 ISLP established the International Senior Lawyers
Project-Europe, headquartered in Paris, France and in 2011 created the ISLP-UK affiliate office in London.
Organization
ISLP
has a 26-member Board of Directors and a full-time paid staff
of nine, including the directors of ISLP-Europe, based in Paris, and ISLP-UK in London. In
addition, six retired
senior lawers provide program coordination on a volunteer basis for
three major ISLP programs: the Commercial Law
Education Program, Haiti Program and Trade Negotiation Training
Program.
For the Executive
Summary of ISLP's 10-year Evaluation and Five Year Plan, click here
For
a List of our Board
of Directors, European
Advisory Council, Human Rights
Advisory Council, and International
Advisory Committee, click
here
Our Work
For more than ten
years, ISLP has
delivered pro bono legal services of the highest caliber to grassroots
NGOs and select governments of least-developed countries throughout the
world in support of projects that advance human rights, equitable
economic development and the rule of law. With experience in
nearly 50 countries, ISLP is unusual in its ability to respond rapidly
and effectively to requests for assistance. Furthermore,
ISLP’s
pro bono model allows it to deploy highly experienced lawyers at a
fraction of the cost of other technical assistance providers –
delivering more than $12 of assistance for every dollar
spent.
ISLP has defined two broad
programmatic areas: human
rights, which includes access
to justice, and equitable
economic development.
The first focuses on assistance to human rights and social welfare
NGOs, but also assists select forward-looking governments of least
developed countries (LDCGs) in furthering human rights, access to
justice and the rule of law. The second includes
transactional
assistance to NGOs and LDCGs on projects that are intended to promote
economic development on both the micro and macro
level.
In both programmatic areas,
ISLP provides NGOs and governments with:
- Experienced onsite volunteers
to advise and help build capacity;
- Expert legal counsel for
significant commercial transactions, legislative reform, corporate
organization and governance, and other matters;
- Cross-border research and
analysis on human rights and other issues; and
- Training programs for local
lawyers in developing countries.
Hallmarks of ISLP's
approach include responding
rapidly to
requests for assistance; focusing
on local needs and the local
context; staying
with a project as long as needed, without concern
for changing funding priorities; providing
on-site assistance over
substantial periods of time or for repeated assignments to achieve more
lasting and significant results; and leveraging
professional
services to provide high level assistance at very low cost.
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