Dear friends,

As we approach the end of 2022, on behalf of the TrustLaw team and the Thomson Reuters Foundation, I would like to sincerely thank you for engaging with our work and coming together to create social change around the world.

As the converging health, economic, energy and climate crises deepens divides and places our democracies and planet under threat, I am so proud of the vital role the TrustLaw network plays in supporting vulnerable communities and defending human rights. By facilitating critical pro bono legal support, we connect NGOs and social enterprises around the world to world-class legal professionals so that together we can strengthen free, fair and informed societies.

Throughout 2022, our TrustLaw network proactively responded to global events shaping society:

Promoting human rights: in response to the conflict in Ukraine, we facilitated legal advice and produced legal tools that supported the delivery of critical humanitarian assistance in the country and region. Our network’s pro bono legal support also resulted in the release of over 20,000 pre-trial detainees in India, powered affordable clean air in new markets, and helped Venezuelan migrants escaping violence and poverty to navigate the complex path for seeking asylum in the Americas.

Fostering inclusive economies: we hosted multiple convenings across the globe to raise awareness of new legislative and regulatory frameworks governing ESG disclosures, and to drive solutions towards fostering more responsible and sustainable business practices. We facilitated legal guidance to help forge a more equitable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic through special drawing rights. We also supported the promotion of credible and sustainable standards for social enterprises through a global accreditation scheme, and supported research on data privacy laws to inform a new bill to strengthen data protection in Argentina.

Advancing media freedom: we supported the safety of journalists by facilitating the production of practical legal tools, such as a guide for journalists on moving personal protective equipment into Ukraine, and a report for media professionals seeking to understand the Russian “fake news” laws and how they’ve been applied to local and international press. We also launched the practical guide for women journalists on how to respond to online harassment in six additional languages. We continue to raise awareness of the growing legal threats faced by journalists and facilitate access to legal support for those at risk to ensure they can undertake their critical work uncensored and unhindered.

As always, this impact would not have been possible without the generosity of our legal partners. Since 2010, hundreds of leading law firms and in-house legal teams across the globe have contributed the equivalent of over $240 million in legal know-how and brainpower to support mission-critical needs of NGOs and social enterprises on the frontlines of social change. We invite you to keep an eye out in early 2023 for the launch of our 2022 TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono, which will identify global trends in the market to help us strengthen the practice of pro bono at a time when it is most critically needed. 

I would like to sincerely thank all of you who have participated and engaged with our work, supported us and inspired us. We look forward to coming together as a community to celebrate your groundbreaking pro bono work and its impact at the TrustLaw Awards - taking place on 16 May, 2023 in London, UK.

Wishing you all the very best of the festive season and a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year. 

Carolina Henriquez-Schmitz

Director of TrustLaw, Thomson Reuters Foundation