iProbono Pakistan hosted ‘Lawyers for Change: a workshop on strengthening civil society and promoting access to justice’ at T2F in Karachi on 25 October, 2016. Having launched in Pakistan in April 2015, the aim of this event was to mobilise the probono support of the legal community in Sindh, chart our progress across the country as well as showcase our international work across the South Asia region.

Founded by the Human Rights Activist and Designer Sabeen Mahmud (1975- 2015), T2F, a project of peace niche is a civil society space providing a forum to promote democratic discourse and conflict resolution through intellectual and cultural engagement. iProbono was pleased to collaborate with their team for this stimulating event.

Mariam Faruqi, iProbono’s South Asia Regional Director and Salman Zaidi, Pakistan Advisor presented a series of case studies highlighting iProbono’s transactional work in Pakistan and child rights litigation in India. They also discussed aspects of the current political landscape in Pakistan in a regional context and how this impacts our work.

The lively audience sparked a discussion on how lawyers can engage in effective pro bono work. Questions from young lawyers, law students, management consultants, representatives of civil society organisations (including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan) revealed the need for a structured approach to pro bono from within the wider legal community. There was also a discussion on the need for training and support for junior lawyers in their daily legal practice.

Mariam Faruqi – South Asia Regional Director, iProbono