LWOB

What LWOB does

Lawyers Without Borders (LWOB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2000 and headquartered in Washington, DC (with an additional office in New Haven, CT) that advances the rule of law internationally by mobilizing a global network of more than 10,000 volunteer legal professionals from international law firms, corporations, and universities to deliver pro bono services, training, and policy support. LWOB does not build or sell a proprietary technology platform; its offerings are services and human capacity: pro bono legal volunteer matching, training and capacity-building programs for judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement, policy reform and legislative drafting, and specialized program areas covering child protection, human trafficking and transnational crime, sexual and gender-based violence response, and alternative dispute resolution. Operating reach spans 33+ countries across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Oceania (including the Republic of the Marshall Islands).

LWOB funds its operations through a diversified nonprofit revenue mix with no commercial product revenue: tiered individual giving programs (Justice Supporter through Global Justice Innovation Circle, $100/month to $10,000+/year), institutional and corporate partnerships (Rule of Law Partner through Global Justice Champion, $10,000 to $100,000+ annually), foundation grants (notably Jones Day Foundation for the multi-year Zambia: Bridges to Justice SGBV project), and US government grants (US Department of State-funded Tanzania T-TIP project). The organization also benefits from significant in-kind pro bono legal services valued at $36.5 million over the last decade (86,500+ volunteer hours). The customer base consists of national governments, justice institutions, law enforcement agencies, bar associations, civil society organizations, and vulnerable populations — not paying commercial customers. Jessica Ryckman returned as Executive Director in December 2024 ahead of LWOB's 25th anniversary in 2025.

Name

LWOB

Legal name

Lawyers Without Borders

Website

https://lawyerswithoutborders.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lawyers Without Borders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that strengthens the rule of law globally by mobilizing 10,000+ volunteer legal professionals to deliver pro bono training, capacity building, and policy reform across more than 33 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Rule of Law Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC), Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

Keywords

• Pro bono legal services
• Rule of law programming
• Judicial capacity building
• Legislative drafting support
• Legal training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New Haven

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: LWOB receives donations from individual supporters through monthly giving circles and one-time gifts, ranging from $100 to $10,000+ annually through tiered giving programs (Justice Supporter, Justice Ally, Justice Advocate, Global Justice Innovation Circle).
2. Institutional/Organizational Partnerships: LWOB partners with organizations at the $10,000 to $100,000+ annual level through tiered corporate partnerships (Rule of Law Partner, Rule of Law Leader, Global Justice Builder, Global Justice Champion) providing recognition, project updates, and engagement opportunities.
3. Foundation Grants: LWOB receives funding from foundations including Jones Day Foundation for specific programs like the Zambia SGBV project and other initiatives. Also funded by US Government grants for international development programs.
4. Pro Bono Volunteer Services: Law firm partners and corporate legal departments contribute thousands of hours of legal expertise valued at $36.5 million, providing training, legislative drafting, and capacity building without direct cost to LWOB.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lawyers Without Borders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advances the rule of law globally by mobilizing a network of 10,000+ volunteer legal professionals from international law firms, corporations, and universities to deliver pro bono legal services. Its core offering is structured around pro bono legal volunteering, training and capacity building for judges/prosecutors/law enforcement, policy reform and legislative drafting support, and specialized programs addressing human trafficking, child protection, sexual and gender-based violence, and alternative dispute resolution across 33+ countries.

Product overview

Lawyers Without Borders (LWOB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that does not offer a traditional technology product or software platform. Instead, LWOB delivers a portfolio of pro bono legal services and programs organized around strengthening global rule of law. The core offering is the Pro Bono Legal Volunteer Network, which connects legal professionals from international law firms and corporations to high-impact rule of law work. This is complemented by Legal Training and Capacity Building Programs, Policy Reform and Legislative Drafting Services, and specialized program areas including Child Protection, Human Trafficking Prevention, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Response, and Alternative Dispute Resolution Support. LWOB also manages specific projects such as the Zambia: Bridges to Justice Project, the Republic of Marshall Islands National Security Support initiative, the East African Regional SGBV Response Initiative, and the Tanzania Trafficking in Persons (T-TIP) project. Annual programs like the Rule of Law Innovation Challenge (ROLIC) and Continuing Legal Education Training engage law students and legal professionals in innovation and skill development. Funding is supported through Donor and Partnership Programs with tiered giving levels for both individuals and institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pro Bono Legal Volunteer Network Global network connecting volunteer legal professionals from international law firms, corporate legal departments, and individual practitioners to deliver pro bono research, training, legislative drafting, and policy support to strengthen rule of law worldwide.
• Legal Training and Capacity Building Programs Practical training programs for judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, and legal professionals covering trial advocacy, investigative techniques, judicial capacity development, and continuing legal education.
• Policy Reform and Legislative Drafting Services Legal and policy research, legislative drafting, and reform support for partner governments and institutions to strengthen legal frameworks on issues including national security, organized crime, and human rights.
• Human Trafficking and Transnational Crime Prevention Programs Capacity building programs to identify, investigate, and prosecute human trafficking, wildlife crime, and related transnational offenses, including the US Department of State-funded Tanzania T-TIP project.
• Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Response Programs Programs supporting survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through civil society partnerships and prosecutorial capacity building, including the Zambia: Bridges to Justice project and the East African Regional SGBV Response Initiative.
• Child Protection Programs Initiatives improving legal protections for children through trauma-informed practices and policy reform addressing child labor, trafficking, and exploitation.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Support Technical assistance for strengthening alternative dispute resolution ecosystems through arbitral court rules development, case management integration, and training-of-trainers frameworks, including the partnership with the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration.
• Rule of Law Innovation Challenge (ROLIC) Annual innovation challenge engaging law students and young professionals in developing solutions for rule of law challenges.
• Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Training Program Training sessions for legal professionals on topics including artificial intelligence, international taxation, mergers and acquisitions, and electoral dispute resolution, conducted in partnership with law societies and international law firms such as Ropes & Gray and the Tanganyika Law Society.
• Republic of Marshall Islands National Security Support U.S. Government-funded initiative providing legislative drafting, national security advisory, and organizational development support to the Republic of the Marshall Islands Office of National Security.
• Zambia: Bridges to Justice Project Community-driven justice response initiative supporting prosecutors and civil society organizations (including the Kasama One Stop Center and Bakashana Basambilile) to address sexual and gender-based violence in underserved areas of Zambia, funded by the Jones Day Foundation.
• East African Regional SGBV Response Initiative Cross-border collaboration initiative facilitating regional coordination among Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania on sexual and gender-based violence prevention and prosecution through regional roundtable discussions with law enforcement and judicial leaders.
• Tanzania Trafficking in Persons Investigations, Prosecutions, and Victim Support (T-TIP) U.S. Department of State-funded project focusing on combating human trafficking and supporting victims in Tanzania through training, prosecution support, witness transportation, and capacity building for law enforcement.
• Donor and Partnership Programs Structured giving and partnership programs including personal giving tiers (Justice Supporter, Justice Ally, Justice Advocate, Global Justice Innovation Circle) and institutional partnerships (Rule of Law Partner, Rule of Law Leader, Global Justice Builder, Global Justice Champion) with recognition benefits and engagement opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86,500+ hours of pro bono service delivered
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ropes & Gray LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal law firm providing pro bono expertise for CLE training sessions in Tanzania, contributing speakers and training materials for sessions on AI, international taxation, M&A/joint ventures, and electoral dispute resolution.
• Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (NCIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership under MoU to strengthen Kenya's alternative dispute resolution ecosystem, including development of arbitral court rules, integration of ADR practices, and training-of-trainers framework.
• Bakashana BasambililecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal NGO in Kasama, Zambia operating the One Stop Center for SGBV survivors. LWOB's Zambia: Bridges to Justice project funds their work through Jones Day Foundation grant, with Bakashana providing staff and ground operations including a Land Cruiser for survivor transport.
• Human Needs Project (NHP) Kibera CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to expand community access to legal knowledge in Kibera, including IP toolkits, community outreach, and public legal education on contracts, labor rights, family law, and domestic violence.
• White & Case LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChairman Joel M. Cohen serves on LWOB Board. Firm contributes pro bono trainers to LWOB programs in Kenya and Liberia.
• Tanganyika Law SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRequested partnership with LWOB for CLE training sessions at their annual general meeting in Tanzania, marking a new engagement area for LWOB.
• Zambia National Prosecution AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to train prosecutors on emerging SGBV topics and support for witness transportation and case management, improving prosecution of SGBV cases.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Namati: International justice organization training community paralegals and pursuing access-to-justice outcomes across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East—overlapping mission and geography but with a community-empowerment approach rather than law firm volunteer model.

Broad incumbents

• TrustLaw (Thomson Reuters Foundation): Thomson Reuters Foundation's global pro bono service connecting law firms with NGOs and social enterprises—directly comparable in facilitating volunteer legal work for international development causes.
• International Justice Mission (IJM): Large international anti-trafficking and justice organization operating in similar countries with substantial programming on trafficking prosecution, victim support, and judicial capacity—overlapping in counter-trafficking and rule-of-law work.
• International Bar Association (IBA): Global organization of legal professionals running rule-of-law and pro bono programs including the IBA Pro Bono and Access to Justice Network—broader in scope but with overlapping mission and volunteer-lawyer engagement model.

Direct peers

• American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI): ABA ROLI is the closest direct peer, operating rule-of-law programs across 50+ countries with government and law firm partnerships, focusing on judicial independence, legal profession reform, and access to justice—substantially overlapping LWOB's program model.
• International Legal Foundation (ILF): Nonprofit building sustainable criminal defense capacity in post-conflict and developing countries through training, mentoring, and institutional reform—a closely comparable operating model in the rule-of-law NGO space.
• PILnet (Public Interest Law Network): Global pro bono clearinghouse connecting corporate legal departments with civil society organizations for rule-of-law and access-to-justice work—directly comparable in mobilizing law firm volunteers for international impact.
• International Development Law Organization (IDLO): Intergovernmental organization focused on rule of law and justice system development, providing policy advice, technical assistance, and capacity building in developing countries—a directly comparable institutional model with broader geographic reach.
• Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF / Lawyers Without Borders Belgium): Belgian nonprofit with an almost identical name and mission, mobilizing volunteer lawyers to defend justice and human rights in developing countries, with active programs in Africa, Europe, and Latin America directly overlapping LWOB's geographic and functional focus.

Regional players

• American University Rule of Law Collaborative: Academic-affiliated rule-of-law center providing research, training, and field programming primarily across the Middle East and North Africa—overlapping program areas but anchored in academic rather than law firm channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LWOB
• Facebookfacebook.com/Lawyers.Without.Borders
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lawyers-without-borders

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LWOB