The Open Society Justice Initiative, a litigation and law center housed within the Open Society Foundations, strives to ensure that the law, too often an instrument of power alone, is shaped and employed in the service of justice. Unlike the rest of the Foundations, we do not give grants; we take action in our own name. Our lawyers have represented scores of individuals and groups before domestic and international courts and tribunals around the world. These cases seek not only to vindicate individual claims, but to establish and strengthen the law’s protection for all.
Working with partners, we also document violations, propose and pilot solutions, engage policymakers, and offer assistance that draws on our global legal experience, including supporting efforts to extend access to justice to all.
With offices around the world, we work in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe on a wide range of issues, including:
- national security and human rights
- citizenship and equality
- criminal justice reform
- climate justice
- combatting corruption
- protection for migrants
- economic justice
- freedom of information and expression
- international justice for grave crimes
- access to justice
- strengthening international human rights institutions.
Overview of the research topic and scope Hundreds of billions of dollars of private and public investment are being channeled into energy, infrastructure, transportation and other projects in countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America that have negative impacts on the climate, and disproportionately on marginalized populations.
To view the full project description, click here: NYU LLM Pro Bono Research Application – OSJI (SA)