Using the Law to Secure Social Change

The story of how Atlantic grantees around the world used strategic litigation to advance human rights and equality both in the courts of law and public opinion.

This report chronicles Lydia Foy’s long legal struggle in Ireland to be officially recognized as a woman—an effort that not only ended in victory for her but that led to a fundamental change in Irish law and how society views gender and identity. Foy’s story…

In a Pulitzer Prize-winning series of stories, the Associated Press revealed through leaked documents that the New York Police Department (NYPD) had secretly launched a vast program of human mapping and surveillance carried out by a so-called "demographics" unit that targeted Muslim communities in New…

Legal advocacy – also known as advocacy through the courts – uses the judicial system to advance social change goals. This is often done through bringing forward a legal case in court that focuses on improving a situation for a particular group of disadvantaged people.…

This report discusses lessons Atlantic grantees have learned about using the law to secure social change in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and Northern Ireland (NI). Atlantic’s support for this work began in 2004. Back then, few organizations in ROI or NI had much experience with public…

In South Africa the Constitution and the Courts are critical avenues for ensuring the delivery of basic human rights across all communities. In this video, civil society activists, donors and a Constitutional Court justice reflect on how the legal system has been used to enforce socio-economic…

In 2007, The Atlantic Philanthropies approached two legal practitioners, Gilbert Marcus SC and Steven Budlender, to conduct an evaluation of public interest litigation in South Africa, following The Atlantic Philanthropies’ substantial investment in the field. The resulting report – A strategic evaluation of public interest litigation…

Public interest litigation can be fraught with challenges, but a summary of a meeting in May 2011 of Atlantic grantees working in this area offers practical tips to help organisations make the best use of this important tool. Among the difficulties of working in public…

“The first day I went to the centre, I was scared, I was in a wheelchair, and I was paralysed on the left side. Everybody was so friendly. My arm was frozen to my side, and now I can move it and I can open…

This publication is an attempt to distil the learnings from three important books that were published during 2009 and which provide valuable insights into doing advocacy in an emerging constitutional democracy in South Africa. Written by Marian Nell & Janet Shapiro for The Atlantic Philanthropies…

This case study documents the best-practice advocacy model of the Black Sash, one of the oldest human rights organisations in South Africa that a brave group of white women started in 1955 to fight the injustices of apartheid. Today, Black Sash plays a key role…

Probono.org, a South Africa clearing house that seeks to increase access to justice through the pro bono services of law firms, provides a model that substantially reduces public interest law costs since it unlocks private legal expertise, according to this case study commissioned by The…

Public interest litigation in South Africa faces several challenges but advocates can undertake four key strategies to enhance its success, according to this report by The Atlantic Philanthropies. Atlantic this week publishes its report on strategic evaluation of public interest litigation in South Africa. This…

The Atlantic Philanthropies’ approach to funding in ageing, including its emphasis on advocacy, is outlined in this speech by Gara LaMarche, Atlantic’s President and CEO, at the Annual Meeting of Grantmakers in Aging in San Diego, California in November 2007. When I was asked a…