Our focus
We facilitate access to law through our leading legal services and programmes
Through TrustLaw, the world’s largest pro bono legal service, we connect civil society organisations and social enterprises on the frontlines of social or environmental change with free legal support and empower law firms and in-house legal departments to strengthen pro bono practice across the globe.
Our Legal Service for Independent Media offers tailored legal support for newsrooms and journalists to mitigate operational vulnerabilities and continue to cover public interest stories and hold power to account without fear of retribution. Additionally, as a founding member of the Legal Network for Journalists at Risk, we can refer those under direct legal threat for specialised legal counsel, including legal defence, trial monitoring and redress for rights violations.
Our customised legal programmes, deploy a suite of capacity-building initiatives, legal research, practical tools and resources to tackle critical human rights issues, such as climate change, LGBTQ+ rights and women’s rights.
Our unparalleled global reach and vast networks allow us to leverage a unique blend of media and legal interventions to address societal challenges at scale, from bolstering the rights of the most disadvantaged to building the foundations for independent media to thrive.
Our Objectives
Empowering the Legal Community
To leverage its know-how and expertise in the public interest.
Increase Access to Legal Expertise
Enabling high-impact civil society organisations, social enterprises, and journalists to build free, fair, and informed societies.
Our impact
Organisations supported
Since 2010, we have supported more than 3,600 organisations through facilitating access to free legal support.
Pro bono hours
Through our services, leading legal teams have contributed the equivalent of more than $300 million in legal know-how and brainpower, supporting the needs of organisations on the frontlines of social change.
Connections
To date, we have facilitated over 12,000 pro bono connections around the world. Behind each of these connections are thousands of lawyers donating their time and expertise to civil society organisations, social enterprises and independent media.
Our impact quotes
View more storiesWorking with TrustLaw has helped us develop and embed in our team a passion for pro bono work. The quality of projects that we have the opportunity to work on and support is excellent, and in many cases, we have formed an enduring relationship with these clients. We are proud of the strides we make each year in our pro bono practice and this would not have been possible without the tremendous support we receive from TrustLaw.
Partnering with the Thomson Reuters Foundation provides the opportunity to leverage our legal expertise for social good. We’re not just embracing challenges; we’re sparking change by deepening our global understanding and contributing to causes such as human rights and education. The TrustLaw service harmonises legal talent, NGOs and social enterprises to bring transformative societal impact.
It is always a challenge to properly understand local contexts, and for this, there is nothing better than having legal professionals from different countries willing to work collaboratively on a quality product.
The legal brief that we generated with TrustLaw support was the catalyst for a major organisational initiative; pro-bono legal research allowed us to identify a major gap in global board diversity policies and gave us the knowledge to advocate for more inclusive corporate boards around the world.
The legal advice facilitated by the Thomson Reuters Foundation enabled us to continue our journalism with confidence and to publish a vital investigation series which informed critical public debates on corruption.
The legal training organised by the Thomson Reuters Foundation has sharpened my skills in handling stories… It also made me brave to pursue stories that I have been shying away from, since I now know how to defend myself.
Impact stories
All impact stories
Securing protections for marine protected areas in Europe
Pro bono legal research by Hogan Lovells Cadwalader helped the Environmental Justice Foundation expose failures to enforce marine protection laws across Europe.
Read moreProtecting independent media under legal threat in El Salvador
SembraMedia used pro bono legal advice from Consortium Legal; BLP and Sánchez-Labrador & López MartÃnez (SLLM) to train over 25 newsrooms in El Salvador on Foreign Agent Laws.
Read moreImproving access to philanthropic giving across Asia
Pro bono support provided by Dechert LLP helped AVPN establish the legal foundations for
Pro bono as a force for good: An interview with Cynthia Mudaye
Cynthia Mudaye from Mudaye & Co. Advocates reflects on what initially drew her to pro bono, and how this work strengthens legal teams professionally.
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How in-house counsel is shaping the future of pro bono
Representatives from MSD explore how to strengthen the contributions of corporate legal teams to the pro bono ecosystem.
Read moreBuilding the pro bono infrastructure needed across East Africa
Cathy Mputhia, CEO of C. Mputhia Advocates, discusses how the Kenyan and East African pro bono landscape can shift from a voluntary practice to a professional expectation.
Read more5 tips to building a robust pro bono programme
Katie Marquart, Partner and Pro Bono Chair at Gibson Dunn, shares five tips on building and maintaining an effective pro bono programme.
Read moreCombatting international corruption: The pro bono research behind the landmark Foreign Extortion Prevention Act
Discover how pro bono legal expertise has created truly impactful tools for fighting corruption.
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The value of pro bono: Radio Domus
Radio Domus FM is a non-profit youth-centric, 24-hour community radio station in Kajiado and Nairobi, Kenya.
Read moreFrom advocacy to change: Colombia outlaws child marriage
TrustLaw, our pro bono legal service, facilitated legal research that was used to bolster the advocacy efforts of two NGOs campaigning to end child marriage.
Read moreResources
All resources2026 Global Pro Bono Guide
The most comprehensive resource on pro bono practices and opportunities worldwide, mapping the legal, regulatory, and cultural landscape.
View moreTrustLaw Index of Pro Bono 2024 report
The TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono identifies global trends in the pro bono marketplace, highlights success factors in pro bono practices and looks at the amount of pro bono work law firms are undertaking on a country-by-country basis.
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Practical and legal tools to protect the safety of journalists
The Thomson Reuters Foundation – in collaboration with UNESCO, the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) and the International News Safety Institute (INSI) – has developed a suite of…
View moreNavigating Intellectual Property Laws in the United States
This guide on intellectual property (IP) delves into the essential aspects of IP law, which safeguards the creations of human intellect.
View moreChampioning Pro Bono: A Guide to Assessing and Strengthening Your Pro Bono Work
A practical resource for law firms and in-house teams to assess, strengthen and expand pro bono legal work.
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TrustLaw Legal Health Check for NGOs and Social Enterprises
The TrustLaw Legal Health Check is a practical resource designed to help identify legal matters relevant to NGOs and social enterprises, and tailor our pro bono legal service to their specific…
View moreOur Partners
TrustLaw Giving ProgrammeGiving Programme Partners
We are deeply grateful to our partners who provide ongoing support for our work through our Giving Programme. Their generosity is critical in enabling us to continue mobilising pro bono to serve the growing needs of the most vulnerable communities around the world.
Get in touch
Cross-sector collaboration is essential to closing the justice gap. We are interested to hear from organisations who share our mission of building a more just and equitable world.
Get in touch to find out more about working with us.