Thomson Reuters and Lawyers Without Borders
For two decades, Thomson Reuters and Lawyers Without Borders have partnered to advance access to justice and strengthen the rule of law across the globe. Combining Lawyers Without Borders’ grassroots legal expertise with the people, technology, and publishing capabilities of Thomson Reuters, the collaboration has delivered impactful training, tools, and resources to legal professionals and communities in over ten countries. Together, they’ve built sustainable legal infrastructure, empowered vulnerable populations, and championed innovation in justice-sector capacity building.
Join us in advancing access to justice. Explore volunteer opportunities, donate, or learn more at: lawyerswithoutborders.org/get-involved
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© 2025 Thomson Reuters TR6397039/11-25
Fast facts/context
Celebrating 20 years of partnership and rule of law
2021 - 2023
Afghanistan Rule of Law Project
2024
Women in Policing Initiative – Tanzania
2016
Liberia Trafficking in Persons eLearning
2019
Tanzania Trafficking in Persons eLearning
2019
Impact
Training extended to judges, magistrates, and prosecutors regionally, strengthening anti-trafficking knowledge and judicial practice.
Action taken
LWOB created several video modules hosted on Thomson Reuters platform, featuring U.S. federal judges addressing victim trauma, child witnesses, and international response strategies.
Situation
Tanzanian justice officials needed accessible, expert-led guidance on trafficking in persons, but resources and expertise were limited.
Tanzania Trafficking in Persons eLearning
Impact
Action taken
Situation
"This initiative expanded the reach and sustainability of LWOB’s anti-trafficking programming."
- Ralph Kantrowitz -
3 expert judges contributed; training distributed across multiple jurisdictions.
2016
Impact
Prosecutors and judges accessed sustained, high-quality training despite national crises. eLearning became institutionalized within LWOB, ensuring long-term continuity of training.
Action taken
LWOB pioneered eLearning for human trafficking cases, with Thomson Reuters underwriting recording, hosting, and distribution of digital training modules.
Situation
Liberia’s justice sector faced severe disruptions due to Ebola, terrorism, and resource shortages, making in-person training difficult.
Liberia Trafficking in Persons eLearning
Impact
Action taken
Situation
"The model enabled LWOB to meet and even exceed its targeted training goals despite significant logistical challenges."
- Hayley Webster -
National eLearning platform established; training goals exceeded despite crises.
2024
Impact
The initiative expanded women’s participation in policing, improved trauma-informed victim protection, and culminated in a conference declaration committing the Tanzania Police Force to actionable gender-responsive reforms through strengthening legislative frameworks, refining recruitment and retention strategies, expanding training capacity, and improving data-driven oversight.
Action taken
Situation
Women in Policing Initiative – Tanzania
Impact
Action taken
Situation
"Policing is a profession that demands trust, inclusivity, and a deep understanding of the diverse communities we serve. Women in policing bring unique perspectives, skills, and approaches that enhance community trust and contribute significantly to conflict resolution, victim support, and crime prevention. Gender diversity is not just about numbers, it is about ensuring that women have equal opportunities to lead, influence decision making, and contribute effectively in all aspects of law enforcement."
– The Commissioner of Tanzania Community Policing Commission: F. C. Shilogile –
National declaration on gender-responsive policing formally adopted by the Tanzania Police Force
2021 – 2023
Impact
LWOB, through the support of Thomson Reuters, helped maintain Afghanistan’s legal heritage and raised global awareness of abuses. Further, LWOB helped Afghan female lawyers who were facing economic and psychological challenges to reconnect and train to use social media safely and effectively, to raise awareness about the situation in Afghanistan and their legal rights.
Action taken
LWOB hosted Ms. Madina Qasimi as Scholar-in-Residence, supported by Thomson Reuters. Together they produced legal research, preserved 2,500 Afghan laws, documented human rights abuses, launched a “Know Your Rights” campaign for refugees, conducted online trainings for Afghan lawyers inside Afghanistan, and partnered with law firms to support displaced Afghans.
Situation
After the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Afghan legal professionals including lawyers and judges faced persecution, loss of legal protections, and displacement. Women and girls were deprived of their fundamental rights including their right to education and work. Access to Afghan law, rights information, and advocacy support was rapidly disappearing and the Taliban created a legal vacuum in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan Rule of Law Project
Impact
Action taken
Situation
"We cannot export rule of law to Afghanistan unless we empower legal professionals within the country."
– Hayley Webster –
Afghan laws preserved; multiple oral histories collected; 4 major refugee support initiatives launched.
2500
Timeline of events
Over 10 countries served
More than x1000 practitioners trained
Dozens of educational publications developed in multiple languages
Fast Facts/Context
Public outreach: 35,000 households in Kenya alone
Kenya
156 years of Supreme Court case law indexed (Liberia, 1861–2017)
Liberia
Wildlife trafficking
Issues addressed:
58 hours of expert volunteer time (equivalent to $11,500 in services) donated in just the past two years
Tanzania
Hundreds of Thomson Reuters employees from legal, tech, and business departments have volunteered their skills
Inheritance rights
Money laundering
Counter-terrorism
Human trafficking
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV)
Corruption
Wildlife trafficking
Inheritance rights
Money laundering
Counter-terrorism
Uganda
2005-present
Training Materials & Printing Partnerships
2015-2019
Liberia Digest Project
2013
Forthcoming 2025
Child-Friendly Interviewing Guide – Kenya
2025
Impact
Once launched, the guide will shape prosecutorial practice nationwide and beyond, setting a standard for trauma-informed, child-sensitive interviewing in Africa.
Action taken
LWOB and pro bono partners drafted a Child-Friendly Interviewing Guide. With Thomson Reuters funding, LWOB convened a validation workshop of more than 50 prosecutors to refine the guide. The guide complements the region’s first tech-enabled child interview space.
Situation
Child victims of crime in Kenya often faced re-traumatization during interviews due to lack of specialized tools and guidance for prosecutors.
Child-Friendly Interviewing Guide – Kenya
Impact
Action taken
Situation
"The guide will ensure child victims are treated with dignity and care while strengthening the integrity of prosecutions."
- Lilian Orieko -
50+
prosecutors
participated in the national validation workshop.
2013
Impact
The game reached international advocates and practitioners, demystifying legal processes and enhancing support for women in family law contexts.
Action taken
LWOB created the “In My Shoes” board game to simulate legal decision-making. TR underwrote printing for global distribution at the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
Situation
Women navigating family law systems often lacked accessible tools to understand their rights and legal pathways.
United Nations 57th Session “In My Shoes” Board Game
Impact
Action taken
Situation
- UN Conference Attendee -
Distributed to delegates from over 50 countries at the UN session.
2015-2019
Impact
Legal professionals gained modern access to jurisprudence for the first time, strengthening transparency and consistency in Liberia’s justice system.
Action taken
LWOB and Thomson Reuters, along with LWOB partner law firms, created the Liberia Digest, indexing case law from 1861–2017 using the West Key Number System. TR provided publishing support, a license to the WestLaw Key system, and digitization.
Situation
Liberian legal professionals lacked open access to their own Supreme Court case law, with no system for indexing or briefing decisions.
Liberia Digest Project
Impact
Action taken
Situation
"This project gave Liberians access to their own legal history for the first time."
- Christina Storm -
The Digest indexed
over 150 years of case law—spanning decisions from 1861 to 2017
2005-Present
Impact
Thousands of lawyers, judges, and law enforcement officers gained lasting access to case files, course resources, and graphic novels, extending the value of training well beyond the classroom. Materials were widely reused and circulated, multiplying impact.
Action taken
Situation
Justice-sector actors across Africa needed durable, practical training materials for trial advocacy and related issues, but lacked access to professional resources.
Training Materials & Printing Partnerships
Impact
Action taken
Situation
"Alumni of the program went on to apply their skills in prosecuting human trafficking, wildlife trafficking, counterterrorism, money laundering, sexual and gender-based violence, juvenile justice, and many other complex scenarios."
– Jessica Ryckman –
Training delivered in at least 5 countries; thousands of justice-sector actors trained with durable printed materials.
5x
Timeline of events
United Nations 57th Session “In My Shoes” Board Game
Zambia
Women remained underrepresented in the Tanzanian police force, limiting gender-sensitive responses to human trafficking, gender-based violence, and child protection.
LWOB, Thomson Reuters, and the Tanzania Police Force convened strategy sessions and a Women in Policing Roundtable with Tanzanian police senior leadership to increase diversity in policing strategic plan.
"This game helped us visualize the real-life consequences of legal choices."
Thomson Reuters supported LWOB by underwriting printing of trial advocacy materials, board games, comics, and training booklets used in programs across Kenya, Liberia, Tanzania, Ghana, and Namibia.
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Haiti
In 1805, Haiti was the first country in the world to abolish slavery by constitutional law.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan's 2004 Constitution guaranteed a broad set of fundamental rights, including equality between men and women.
Ghana
Ghana is one of the few African countries where chieftaincy and the legal powers of chieftains is not only legally recognized but constitutionally protected.
Under Article 50 of Uganda's constitution, any person or organization has the right to bring a case to court to enforce the rights of others, a form of public interest litigation.
Tanzania is one of the few countries in the world that operates under a dual legal system, combining common law and customary and Islamic law.
Zambia abolished the death penalty in 2022.
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