FLAC announces Public Interest Litigation Disbursements Grant for law firms

FLAC is pleased to announce a new Public Interest Law Support Fund (the Fund) intended:

• to preserve and grow an ethos of the strategic use of law and litigation in the public interest in the Republic of Ireland;
• to increase capacity for the strategic use of law in the public interest; and
• to build and share strategic learning on the use of law and litigation, including substantial examples of litigation as a tool for social change.

For the purposes of the Fund, public interest law is defined as a way of working with the law for the advancement and protection of human rights for the benefit of marginalised and disadvantaged people.  The Fund will specifically focus on – but is not limited to – issues related to immigration, housing and homelessness, refugee law, vulnerable children and young people, access to civil legal aid, social welfare law, debt and credit law, Travellers, and general access to systems for a fair outcome.

The Public Interest Litigation Disbursements Grant is open to private law firms seeking financial assistance to support the cost of disbursements and outlay in public interest litigation. The grant may be used to cover a range of expenses such as expert reports, court fees, and witness costs.

In order to apply, a law firm must show:

• It is pursuing a piece of strategic litigation in the public interest;
• It is acting on a pro bono basis;
• It is a signatory to the PILA Pro Bono Referral Scheme, although the case does not need to have been referred through the Scheme.
• The work must have learning for the wider public interest law community and there must be a willingness to share that learning.

Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis from November 2015. The total size of the Public Interest Litigation Disbursements Grant in 2015 is €10,000.

For further information, and to request an application form, please contact Rachel Power at rachel.power@flac.ie.