Strengthening Community Paralegals in Ukraine

About this grant

The program goal is to strengthen the practice of community paralegals in Ukraine. Such community-based paralegals have become increasingly important in providing legal, health, humanitarian and related information and services in the wake of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Drawing on its growing pre-war experience in Ukraine and on extensive experience of paralegal development abroad, the Ukrainian Legal Aid Foundation will develop a series of specialized online training courses for these community justice actors. The grantee will also work to develop mutually supportive networks of paralegals, community health care workers, civic advisors and others working to provide information and legal support to Ukrainians in order to supplement resources available from the state. In 2020-22, the grantee developed a comprehensive online training course for community paralegals with over 200 participants completing the course and a further 200 beginning the process. Over this time, paralegals dealt with over 10,000 enquiries on a range of legal issues affecting Ukrainians. The Ukrainian Legal Aid Foundation works to ensure access to justice in Ukraine through the support and provision of legal aid services and through improving the standards of justice provision.