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News

Upcoming PILP Pro bono events

Feb 12, 2021

 Sign  up for the upcoming capacity building workshop for our pro bono partners in collaboration with the New York Bar’s Vance Center taking place on February 18th 2021. Register here.

To find out more about our 2021 events, click here.

Launch of new online portal

Feb 12, 2021

Join us to be one of the first to try out our new online public interest portal prior to the official launch.

Through the portal, we are seeking to automate the processes and procedures of the scheme to increase access to our services for pro bono applicants, lawyers and all other stakeholders throughout the country. 

To find out more and sign up, click Here

 

Informal Justice Court Project Registration

Feb 10, 2021

We are collaborating on an exciting restorative justice project with the Aardschap Foundation, Netherlands, aimed at using a multidisciplinary approach of art and law to tackle some of the challenges faced in the administration of criminal justice.

 

To find out more about the project and how to get involved, click Here

Meet a Covid Need Today

May 04, 2020

LPILP is collaborating with Meet a Need Today foundation to provide financial aid to those facing hardship due to the global crisis.

To donate, please go to www.paystack.com/pay/meetaneedtoday

For more information on Meet a Need Foundation, visit www.meetaneedtoday.org

Kaduna Public Intererest Law Partnership

July 20, 2018

The LPILP and other technical partners including the Justice Research Institute, Cerebra Hub amongst others, visited Kaduna State from July 17th – July 19th 2018 to host a Public Interest Law Partnership Sign Up meeting. During the visit, we participated in a successful conference with relevant stakeholders present at the event including the Kaduna State Attorney General, the Solicitor General, representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association, several private law firms and NGOs. There was a great emphasis placed on Domestic and Sexual Violence cases and how it was important that all stakeholders work together to tackle this widespread problem. The LPILP Coordinator presented on the operations, successes and challenges of the LPILP scheme and welcomed new partners to sign up as stakeholders of the scheme.

Kirikiri Prison Visit

July 7, 2018

LPILP alongside one of our stakeholders, the Fountain of Life Church, which we refer to in our manual as a “Faith Based Institution”, visited the Kirikiri Medium Prison where we were able to secure the release of forty (40) inmates. These were inmates who had the option of either paying a fine or spending some months in prison. The fines ranged from N10,000 to N30,000 for offences. We also had a productive discussion with some of the management of the Nigerian Prison Services (one of our twelve stakeholders) on how we can work more effectively together to tackle prison congestion

Osun State Public Interest Law Partnership

June 21, 2018

The LPILP and other technical partners including the Justice Research Institute, Cerebra Hub amongst others, visited Osogbo, Osun State from June 19th – June 21st 2018 to host a Public Interest Law Partnership Sign Up meeting. During the visit, we participated in a successful conference with relevant stakeholders present at the event including the Osun State Attorney General, the Solicitor General, representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association, several private law firms and NGOs. The LPILP Coordinator presented on the operations, successes and challenges of the LPILP scheme.

Kano State Legal Aid

April 30, 2018

The LPILP Coordinator was invited to contribute to a 2 day “Expert Convening on Consolidating Legal Aid Approaches in Kano state” organized by the Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative also known as Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN) in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice Kano.

The convening brought together experts across the country and other jurisdictions to deliberate on the best approaches to developing a sustainable approach to legal aid services for Kano generally, and in particular cases relating to sexual and gender based violence.

The LPILP Coordinator joined a panel comprising of the Executive Director PWAN, Executive Director Legal Aid Forum Kigali, Rwanda, Executive Director Tanzania Network of Legal Aid Providers, Director National Legal Aid Services, Kemya, and Director, Lagos State Ministry of Justice to share comparative experiences from their various jurisdictions.

The event took place on Thursday 26th and Friday 27th April, 2018 at Babanle Suites, No 8 Mohd Dabo close, off New Race Course Road, Nassarawa GRA, Kano.

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Past Events

Incorporation of Lagos Public Interest Law Partnership Trust Fund

Dec 18, 2015

Using the seed funding provided by LASG, the LPILP Trust has been set up to operate as a public-private partnership. The LPILP Trust has been registered as an Incorporated Trustee under Part C of CAMA in December 2015 and is managed by a Board of Trustees, which pursuant to Clause 5 of the pro bono manual, consists of the following: a Chairman, the Attorney General, the Director/Coordinator of the LPILP, a representative of the NBA, 2 Private Legal Practitioners, a member of the academia and a representative of an NGO. This structure was proposed by the manual’s drafting committee for the purpose of insulating the scheme and to ensure that same is enduring.

2nd Annual Pro Bono Week

May 20, 2015

The LPILP has embarked on various pro bono projects aimed at amplifying its success by securing an even stronger base of support throughout Nigeria and also internationally. One of such projects is the Annual Lagos State Pro Bono Week. The second pro bono week took place from May 20th to 22nd 2015.  

UK 13th Annual National Pro Bono Week and 8th European Bro Bono Forum

25 Nov, 2014

In November 2014, The LPILP’s technical partners - the New York based Global Network for Public Interest Law (PILNET), invited members of the LPILP Board (the Lagos State Attorney General and the Executive Secretary) alongside representatives of two of the LPILP partners, to the 13th Annual National Pro Bono Week in the U.K., sponsored by the Law Society of the U.K., the Bar Council and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. The Pro Bono week took place from November 5th to November 7th 2014. The aim of the U.K.’s pro bono week is to celebrate the breadth and impact of pro bono work undertaken by the legal profession across the year.  The week also saw London as the host of the annual European Pro Bono Forum run by PILnet. Over the years, the Forum, which takes place in different countries in Europe, has gained the reputation of offering a dynamic setting where participants can explore how they can best collaborate to address critical issues of social justice. Through interactive workshops and structured networking opportunities, participants gain insight into the pro bono community and forge alliances that can assist in protecting rights around the world.

The Lagos State Attorney General, the Executive Secretary and two representatives of the LPILP partners, formed a panel discussion at the forum. The panel served to showcase the LPILP as an internationally acclaimed model which has within a short period, developed the culture of pro bono in Nigeria by leaps and bounds. The scheme was viewed as a unique format for clearinghouses that has the exciting potential for replication in other parts of the world.

Lagos Public Interest Law Partnership Hags Summit

Sept 18, 2014

On September 18, 2014, the Lagos State Attorney General hosted a summit for the Nigerian Body of Attorneys General (HAGs) at the Protea Hotel, Westwood, Ikoyi. At the summit, the LPILP model of delivering pro bono services was presented to the HAGs and it was positively received. Many of the HAGs present stated that they were inspired by what they learned and considered exploring similar initiatives in their states to provide qualitative access to justice while supplementing the public sector’s legal aid efforts in the country.

The LPILP team will be on hand to provide the HAGs with the technical assistance necessary to put in place standards and quality control measures that will ensure that those receiving pro bono legal services in their states will benefit from the same high standards that fee-paying clients receive.

1st Annual Pro Bono Week

April 11, 2014

As part of the efforts to further promote the LPILP, the partnership instituted the Annual Lagos State Pro Bono Week. The first of which took place from April 7-11 2014.

The events of the pro bono week included:

  1. Visits to the Nigerian Bar Association in the state to get their commitment and involvement with providing pro bono services to indigent citizens

  2. Legal Clinics at the Nigerian Law School where seventy (70) students provided free legal advice to real clients under the supervision of their lecturers and lawyers from the LPILP partner law firms

  3. Stakeholders’ conference to promote the pro bono ideology through thought-provoking knowledge exchange, as well as to improve the LPILP while eliciting the commitment and involvement from additional law firms, NGOs and organisations.

  4. Panel of discussion at the Nigerian Law School which included the Chief Judge of Lagos State, the Lagos state Attorney General, the President of PILNET/Professor of Law at Columbia University, the Senior Vice-President and General Counsel of Viacom International Media Networks, the Deputy Director General of the Nigerian Law School, the LPILP Coordinator amongst other prominent personalities. The topic for the panel was “Public Interest Law-- The Role of  Lawyers in Bridging the Justice Gap”

  5. Awards dinner where the Governor of Lagos State handed out commendation letters to law firms that had distinguished themselves in pro bono services under the LPILP scheme. This serves to encourage more lawyers to participate in providing the free legal services under the scheme since lawyers are known to be competitive.

  6. The  establishment of the Pro Bono Trust Fund.

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