We facilitate pro bono climate legal support
The law is one of the most powerful tools for responding to the climate crisis. But it also difficult and expensive to access. We provide a pro bono matching service, connecting individuals and community groups to our members for free and reduced fee legal support.
Submit a request for pro bono assistance
LCANZI facilitates a “match-making” service between skilled volunteers, and those who are in need of climate-change related legal assistance.
LCANZI has a panel of volunteers who may be willing to assist community groups and individuals on a reduced fee, or pro bono, basis. Our membership includes lawyers, legal academics and law students. We are committed to using our legal skills to help to drive the change needed to address the threat of climate change. We recognise that there are many other individuals and groups in New Zealand who are also committed to this, but would sometimes benefit from access to lawyers to assist them.
Because all of the lawyers on the pro bono panel are volunteers, we can’t guarantee that we will be able to find someone with the right expertise and with capacity to help.
We only consider requests from individuals, community groups, and non-profit groups on matters that are in the public interest and align with our purpose and values. We prioritise cases which might be of significant public interest, and are focused particularly on climate change and climate impacts (as opposed to general environmental harms).
Any community group or individual who think that they could benefit from such assistance and who fall within the above criteria can contact our pro-bono coordinator by filling out the form below. The pro-bono coordinator will discuss with them whether LCANZI members can offer support and if so, will put them in contact with a suitable lawyer.
Contact us if you would like to provide pro-bono services to climate activists or climate action organisations
We provide a “meet-up” service for climate activists and practising lawyers who are willing to provide them with pro-bono or reduced fee legal services.
The requests from activists can be many and varied, but they can include advice on:
Legal research
Organisational structure for non-profit organisations
Litigation
If you would like to be on our pro-bono panel, please fill out the form below. If we require clarification on your offer, our pro-bono co-ordinator will contact you to discuss your offer.
When a request comes through that matches your offer/skills, we will put you in contact with them.
You have no obligation to take on requests when we send them to you.
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