Who We Are
BABSEACLE collaborates globally in the development of justice education and access to justice initiatives while simultaneously fostering generations of pro bono minded champions.
BABSEACLE has been working collaboratively with universities, law students, law faculties, lawyers, members of the legal community, and justice related organizational partners since 2003 to develop justice education and pro bono related programs throughout Asia. These programs assist in providing access to justice services while simultaneously helping to build the next generation of social justice, pro bono minded champions.
These programs and clinics assist communities, provide legal aid services and simultaneously help to build the next generation of social justice, pro-bono minded champions.
BABSEACLE’s mission is to help establish, strengthen and support Access to Justice and Rule of Law in Asia and globally through justice education, including a core focus on legal ethics, professional responsibility and pro bono awareness raising.
This is achieved through primary focus on university-based and community-based justice education initiatives such as Clinical Legal Education (CLE) programs.
Through Clinical Legal Education (CLE) programs, we intend to improve access to justice across Asia by educating the social justice, pro bono champions of tomorrow as they serve the legal needs of marginalized communities today.
What We Do
BABSEACLE works collaboratively with universities, law faculties and organizational partners to develop and strengthen university-based Clinical Legal Education and Community Empowerment Programs throughout Asia.
BABSEACLE builds bridges by raising awareness about the issues faced by the communities we serve. We facilitate people-to-people exchanges, volunteer programs and legal trainings, with the aim of building a network of legal professionals and community leaders to address the root causes of access to justice issues.
BABSEACLE:
Provides technical, administrative and organizational support, and helps establish and strengthen university-based and community-based CLE programs.
Conducts grassroots “training of trainers” workshops, using interactive Community Legal Education methodology.
Develops and assists in the development of interactive legal curricula and manuals for university law faculties, community-based legal advisors, paralegals, non-governmental and governmental organizations.
Coordinates and hosts an International Legal Studies Externship Clinic and promotes course credit for eligible participating students.
Organizesand facilitates CLE exposure visits, and CLE exchanges and trainings between students and professors.
Works to connect new university clinics with established university clinics, and to team clinics with pro bono departments of law firms and corporations.
Trains and assists in the development of the professional, ethical and legal skills of lawyers and professors of law.
Offers opportunities for pro bono departments of law firms and corporations to sponsor BABSEACLE Legal Fellows and CLE programs.
Our Goals
BABSEACLE works to:
- Ensure the growth of university-based CLE programs that focus on community empowerment and legal service outreach;
- Develop a network of community-service-minded law graduates and pro-bono civil society advocates for justice;
- Provide a ‘safe space’ to explore and practice CLE approaches that transcend the notion of tolerance, and enable advocates for justice to stand in solidarity with poor, vulnerable and marginalized communities;
- Link CLE programs to civil society organizations, law firms, corporations, including governmental policy makers, municipalities and justice sector institutions;
- Develop and design multi-platform, open-source, university CLE training materials;
- Provide legal knowledge and supplemental legal services to poor, vulnerable and marginalized communities.
Why We Do What We Do
BABSEACLE is founded on the strong belief that no society can protect the rights of its people without a working Rule of Law system. All over the world, marginalized groups yearn for access to justice, but lack the power to obtain it. The result is a sense of injustice throughout societies in which a growing rift divides those with financial and legal means, and those without. We believe that justice education programmes such as Clinical Legal Education (CLE) is an effective way to help correct this injustice.
CLE provides pro bono services to the community while educating the next generation of social justice, pro bono champions.
CLE builds bridges between law schools, civil society, government, non-governmental organizations and communities that would otherwise not have access to legal assistance.
CLE fosters professional ethics and teaches students practical skills for tomorrow, while helping marginalized communities today.
See “About Clinical Legal Education (CLE)” for more information
Where We Work
BABSEACLE currently helps to develop and support Clinical Legal Education (CLE) programs throughout Asia including Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Nepal.
BABSEACLE also has working partnerships with universities in Australia, Canada, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Our administrative offices are located in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Yangon, Myanmar and Hanoi, Viet Nam.
Learn more about BABSEACLE in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia.
Our Partners and Supporters
BABSEACLE seeks to develop and strengthen positive partnerships and networks locally, regionally and internationally. We endeavor to link CLE programmes to civil society organizations, law firms, corporations, governmental policy makers, municipalities and justice sector institutions. We welcome partnerships to support these CLE social justice champions.
Learn more about our partners and supporters
Contact us to receive our annual financial statements
Support:
1) Our Trainings — BABSEACLE provides training to lawyers and law professors about professional ethics and legal skills development;
2) Our International Legal Studies Externship Clinic —participating students may be eligible for credit;
3) Our Exchange Program — we organize CLE student and professor exchanges and training.
Sponsor:
1) A Clinic — BABSEACLE works to create partnerships between university clinics and law firm or corporate pro-bono departments;
2) A Legal Fellow — law firms and corporations sponsor law graduates in Asia to become Legal Fellows.
CONTACT US for more information about opportunities for support and sponsorship.
FAQ
Everything you need to know about BABSEACLE, including:
1) What is the difference between BABSEACLE, BABSEA and BAB? Are they part of the same organization?
2) What interaction do the country-specific Initiatives have with each other?
3) Where is BABSEACLE registered? Is BABSEACLE a not-for-profit organization?
4) Are the goals of all the CLE initiatives similar or are they different for each country?
5) Where are our offices based?
6) What is the International Legal Studies Externship Clinic?