London—TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global pro bono service, and Nextlaw Referral Network, the largest free legal referral network in the world, founded by Dentons and backed by a proprietary algorithm that helps find the best law firm for a client's particular needs, are announcing a new partnership to scale the practice of legal pro bono support for NGOs and social enterprises which are focused on creating social and environmental change.

TrustLaw, the world’s largest global pro bono legal network, connects NGOs and social enterprises in 175 countries to leading lawyers who address their legal needs free of charge. The new partnership with Nextlaw Referral Network will allow TrustLaw to supplement its existing global network of more than 900 firms and corporate in-house teams with access to Nextlaw Referral Network’s 700+ member firms across 205 countries.

By extending the reach of TrustLaw's global network to more than 1,500 of the world’s leading law firms, the partnership will help to address the growing gap that exists between the need for pro bono legal advice and the number of firms available to provide it.

“We are always looking for creative and innovative ways to increase our reach, to spread excellence in the practice of pro bono and to drive social change worldwide," said Nick Glicher, Thomson Reuters Foundation COO. "Our partnership with Nextlaw Referral Network significantly increases the network of lawyers who can offer their assistance and expertise for free, increasing and accelerating connection opportunities with more NGOs and social enterprises, which in turn allows them to streamline their operations, expand into new countries and scale their impact.”

“For the Nextlaw Referral Network, having a positive impact on the communities where we live is fundamental to how we operate and a responsibility that we take seriously," said Jeff Modisett, CEO - Nextlaw Referral Network. "We are delighted to be able to partner with TrustLaw, and help connect the talented members of our more than 700 member firms, who share our commitment to pro bono, to help drive positive social change.”

In addition to benefitting civil society by helping NGOs and social enterprises navigate their day-to-day legal needs, TrustLaw facilitates ground-breaking pro bono legal research and develops legal ‘best practice’ guides for the social sector. Through pro bono, TrustLaw aims to improve the operational efficiency of NGOs and help to free up their resources so that they can remain focused on tackling social and environmental issues. TrustLaw recently won ‘Best Collaborative Initiative’ at the 2019 Lawyer Awards for its role in connecting UK charity 28 Too Many - which works to eliminate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - with more than 120 lawyers to produce research on FGM law across 30 countries.

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