International Senior Lawyers Project

What International Senior Lawyers Project does

International Senior Lawyers Project (ISLP) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 2000 that mobilizes pro bono legal support for low-income governments, civil society organizations, and social enterprises across the Global South. The organization operates an expansive volunteer network of approximately 2,000 lawyers drawn largely from leading international law firms and independent subject-matter experts, supported by a small core staff of 1-10 employees who provide hands-on project management from scoping through completion. ISLP's work spans eight focus areas: accountability and transparency, civil society engagement, innovative finance and social enterprises, investment and trade, media law and freedom of expression, energy and natural resource management, responsible technology, and tax.

ISLP's service portfolio includes direct representation and transactional/negotiation support, training workshops, legal research, legislative drafting assistance, and strategic legal advice. The organization also produces knowledge products such as the SLAPP Defense Guidance for Southern Africa, the Toolkit for Mineral Taxation in Mining Projects (with the World Bank/ALSF), a Guide for Developing Countries on the Global Minimum Tax (with IISD), and a Private Investment Funds Governance Handbook (with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius). ISLP maintains no proprietary technology platform — its 'technology stack' is fundamentally its volunteer-lawyer network and demand-driven engagement model, with delivery handled via direct service rather than software.

ISLP is funded entirely through donations, grants, and charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and government agencies, and does not charge clients for its services. The organization reports that every dollar donated multiplies more than tenfold into practical support for partners. Key donor partners include the Government of Canada, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, UKAid, and Dignitas International USA. ISLP has received a Candid Platinum Transparency rating, a Charity Navigator rating, and was awarded Liberia's Knight Officer grade in the Most Venerable Order of the Pioneers of the Republic of Liberia in 2017 for an 11-year engagement. The organization is governed by an independent board of directors and has no parent company.

Name

International Senior Lawyers Project

Legal name

International Senior Lawyers' Corporation

Website

https://islp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

International Senior Lawyers Project (ISLP) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes pro bono legal support from a 2,000+ lawyer volunteer network for low-income governments, civil society organizations, and social enterprises across Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pro Bono Legal Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Governance, Democracy & Rule of Law (BPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government Accountability, Ethics & Anti-Corruption Advocacy (BPAGAFAN), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Pro bono legal services
• International development law
• Capacity building workshops
• Legislative drafting support
• Nonprofit legal advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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. Donations and Charitable Contributions: ISLP operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and government agencies. The organization emphasizes that every dollar donated multiplies more than tenfold into practical support and impact for partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ISLP mobilizes an expansive volunteer network of senior lawyers from leading international law firms to provide pro bono legal support to low-income governments, civil society organizations, and social enterprises in the Global South. Services span transactional and negotiation support, legal research, legislative and regulatory drafting, strategic legal advice, and capacity-building training workshops, delivered as direct engagements from scoping through completion by a small core management team.

Product overview

ISLP is a nonprofit legal services organization operating as a single unified offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization provides pro bono legal support services centered around three core pillars: direct legal representation and advisory support to governments, civil society, and social enterprises; capacity building through training programs and workshops; and knowledge products including publications, toolkits, and guides. Key named publications include the SLAPP Defense Guidance for Southern Africa, the Mineral Taxation Toolkit for African countries, the Global Minimum Tax Guide for developing nations, and the Private Investment Funds Governance Handbook. The organization's work spans eight intersecting focus areas: accountability and transparency, civil society engagement, energy and natural resource management, investment and trade, media law and freedom of expression, responsible technology, innovative finance and social enterprises, and tax.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pro Bono Legal Support Services Direct legal representation, transactional and negotiation support, legal research, legislative drafting assistance, and strategic legal advice provided at no cost to low-income governments, civil society organizations, and social enterprises in the Global South through matched volunteer lawyers from leading international law firms.
• Capacity Building and Training Programs Training workshops and educational programs delivered to lawyers, journalists, government decision makers, and civil society leaders on commercial law, contract drafting, arbitration, anti-corruption, natural resource management, financial crime risk, AI ethics, and related topics.
• SLAPP Defense Guidance for Southern Africa A guidance publication designed to help individuals and organizations in Southern Africa targeted by Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation understand their rights and the legal defenses available to them.
• Toolkit for Mineral Taxation in Mining Projects A practical toolkit providing African countries with solutions to design and implement effective mining fiscal regimes and optimize benefits from the mining sector.
• Guide for Developing Countries on How to Understand and Adapt to the Global Minimum Tax A guide helping developing countries understand and adapt to the Global Minimum Tax framework, accompanied by joint webinars with IISD on updates to the framework.
• Private Investment Funds Governance Handbook A handbook providing governance guidance for private investment funds operating in the impact-investing sector, prepared together with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius on a pro bono basis.

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2023, nearly 13,000 pro bono hours donated on 160 projects in 54 countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

36 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hogan LovellscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2026Partners Scott Loughlin and Katy Milner from Hogan Lovells served as speakers for an AI Ethics webinar for lawyers in Southern Africa.
• Beneficial ReturnscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Since 2017, ISLP has partnered with Beneficial Returns, a debt fund providing capital to social enterprises. ISLP mobilizes pro bono legal support from international law firms to represent Beneficial Returns in loan negotiations across multiple countries including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Kenya, Thailand, Paraguay, Philippines, and UK.
• World Bank / African Legal Support Facility (ALSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISLP partnered with the African Legal Support Facility through the World Bank's African Mining Legislation Atlas initiative to develop the Toolkit for Mineral Taxation in Mining Projects, providing practical solutions for African countries to optimize benefits from the mining sector.
• International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISLP and IISD co-published A Guide for Developing Countries on How to Understand and Adapt to the Global Minimum Tax, and co-hosted webinars on updates to the global minimum tax framework.
• Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISLP partnered with the GIIN to host the Legal Practitioners Track convenings on impact investing, providing a forum for senior attorneys, development finance institutions, foundations, and impact investors to discuss legal challenges in the field.
• Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISLP partnered with MISA on the Winfield Freedom of Expression Initiative, including joint webinars on AI ethics, SLAPP defense guidance for Southern Africa, and training on media freedoms and digital rights.
• Nairobi Center for International ArbitrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISLP partnered with the Nairobi Center for International Arbitration and Lusaka International Arbitration Centre to host a two-day dispute resolution training on the Role of Arbitral Secretaries, supporting African legal communities and Africa-based alternative dispute resolution centers.
• International Development Law Organization (IDLO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISLP collaborated with IDLO to deliver a series of workshops aimed at strengthening the legal capacity of key Gambian institutions involved in negotiations with investors, funded by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.
• Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISLP partnered with AMDA to host a webinar on facilitating international investment in energy access through minigrids.
• Global Development Advisors (GDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISLP partnered with GDA to expand opportunities for social impact entrepreneurs in Central America, utilizing the power of entrepreneurship to create positive impact.
• Kirkland & ElliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteers from Kirkland & Ellis, led by partner James Boswell, helped develop a loan agreement enabling expansion of electricity access in underserved areas of Liberia.
• Womble Bond Dickinson LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteers from Womble Bond Dickinson LLP participated in a webinar on Financial Economic Crime Risk Management for the Kenyan legal community.
• Hogan LovellscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer from Hogan Lovells (Scot Anderson) assisted the World Bank and ALSF in developing the Toolkit for State Equity Participation in Mining Companies.
• Morgan, Lewis & BockiuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMorgan, Lewis & Bockius acted pro bono publico to partner with the ISLP team in preparing the Private Investment Funds Governance Handbook.
• Akin Gump LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer lawyers from Akin Gump contributed to the SLAPP Defense Guidance for Southern Africa.
• Doughty Street ChamberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer lawyers from Doughty Street Chambers contributed expertise to the SLAPP Defense Guidance for Southern Africa.
• ROLE UK / Advocates for International Development (A4ID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported the development of SLAPP Defense Guidance for Southern Africa as part of the ROLE UK Programme funded by UKAid.
• Lex Mundi Pro Bono FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISLP partnered with Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation to mobilize nine law firms for comparative research on environmental management regulation in Latin America.
• White & CasecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteers from White & Case delivered a week-long workshop in Nairobi for state counsels from Kenya's Office of Attorney General on dispute resolution.
• Latham & WatkinscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteers from Latham & Watkins delivered a week-long workshop in Nairobi for state counsels from Kenya's Office of Attorney General.
• Gibson DunncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISLP volunteers from Gibson Dunn provided insights for Guyana's efforts to enhance its international dispute resolution framework.
• Clifford ChancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClifford Chance transactional lawyers provided insights on international investment transactions in Ethiopian banks.
• Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMark Morrison, Senior Partner from Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP Canada, provided training on Anti-Corruption, Anti-Money Laundering, and Asset Tracing for Zimbabwean lawyers.
• Ballard Spahr LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer from Ballard Spahr LLP (Dave Schulz) provided review for SLAPP Defense Guidance for Southern Africa.
• Committee to Protect JournalistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTogether with CPJ and other NGOs, ISLP wrote and filed an amicus curiae brief with the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Azerbaijani journalist Emin Huseynov.
• International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIWMF partnered with ISLP to provide pro bono legal advice to female journalists on contracts and intellectual property rights, co-hosting webinars on legal trends.
• Collaboration on International ICT Policy (CIPO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISLP partnered with CIPO to deliver a workshop for Ugandan lawyers on Defending Digital Rights and Freedoms.
• Fundación Construir (Bolivia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISLP worked in partnership with Fundación Construir and the Environmental Justice Network to deliver a workshop on the life cycle of development projects for local lawyers and civil society advocates.
• Counterpart International (Ecuador)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISLP delivered a workshop on Public Private Partnerships for Counterpart International Ecuador, supported by USAID.
• Accountability CounselminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKindra Mohr, Policy Director for Accountability Counsel, spoke at an ISLP-sponsored panel at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights.
• International Bar AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRocio Paniagua, Senior Legal Advisor for the International Bar Association, spoke at an ISLP-sponsored panel at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights.
• Advocates for International Development (A4ID)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYasmin Batliwala, Chief Executive of A4ID, spoke at an ISLP-sponsored panel at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights.
• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and FeldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarc Hammerson and Inderveer Hothi of Akin Gump delivered the Project Development and Finance training for The Gambia's Ministry of Justice.
• DLA PipercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJay Finkelstein of DLA Piper developed workshops on negotiating techniques for Gambian government institutions.
• Goodwin Procter LLPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoodwin Procter LLP hosted a cocktail reception for the inaugural Legal Practitioners Track European Convening.
• DLA PipercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDLA Piper hosted the full-day event for the inaugural Legal Practitioners Track European Convening with over 70 leaders in impact investing.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Advocates for International Development (A4ID): UK-based nonprofit that mobilizes pro bono legal support for NGOs and social enterprises in the developing world. Operates a near-identical model to ISLP and has been an explicit partner in ISLP's SLAPP Defense work.
• Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF): International NGO headquartered in Belgium that mobilizes lawyers to provide free legal assistance and access to justice in developing countries. Directly comparable mission and volunteer-lawyer delivery model.
• PILnet (Public Interest Law Network): International nonprofit that builds pro bono legal infrastructure globally by connecting civil society organizations with law firm volunteers. Operates the same pro bono clearinghouse-plus-projects model as ISLP across multiple jurisdictions.
• Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation: Foundation affiliated with the Lex Mundi network of leading law firms that delivers pro bono legal services to social enterprises and NGOs globally. ISLP is an active partner with Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation on Latin America environmental regulation work.
• TrustLaw (Thomson Reuters Foundation): Thomson Reuters Foundation's global pro bono legal program that connects NGOs and social enterprises with law firms for free legal support. Directly comparable offering with overlap in media law and civil society support.
• Lawyers Without Borders: US-headquartered nonprofit that provides pro bono legal services to advance the rule of law in developing and post-conflict countries. Comparable mission focus on rule-of-law capacity building and similar volunteer-lawyer delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• International Development Law Organization (IDLO): Intergovernmental organization with 40+ years of operating history that works globally to advance the rule of law and legal capacity in developing countries. ISLP partners with IDLO on Gambia workshops; IDLO is a larger, institutionally-backed counterpart.

Emerging players

• Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada: Canadian NGO that promotes human rights and the rule of law by mobilizing lawyers on pro bono advocacy, amicus briefs, and capacity-building for at-risk counsel. Comparable volunteer-lawyer mobilization, narrower geographic focus.

Regional players

• OneJustice: California-based nonprofit that mobilizes pro bono legal support for nonprofits serving low-income communities. Shares the volunteer-lawyer delivery model but operates primarily within the United States rather than the Global South.

Others

• Global Legal Empowerment Network: Open global community of more than 3,000 organizations and lawyers advancing legal empowerment for marginalized communities. Adjacent ecosystem player with thematic alignment on rule-of-law and access-to-justice outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ISLProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-senior-lawyers-project
• Xx.com/ISLP_GLOBAL

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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