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Pursuing the Public Interest |
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 A Handbook for Legal Professionals and Activists
This handbook represents an attempt to synthesize a wide-ranging body of knowledge and experience regarding the diverse set of activities that have been adopted by public interest advocates in former socialist countries. It is intended to provide basic information regarding the practical aspects of these activities for those unfamiliar with them, as well as to build on the lessons learned in the initial, disparate efforts of a growing number of individuals and organizations.
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| Table of Contents |
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SETTING UP A PUBLIC INTEREST LAW ORGANIZATION
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1. What is a public interest law organization?
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2. Establishing the public interest law organization
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3. Governing the organization
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4. Strategic planning
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5. Public interest law organization services and activities
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6. Internal management
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7. Case selection, client relations, and conflicts of interest
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8. Financial and administrative management
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9. Fundraising for the public interest law organization
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MONITORING FOR THE GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE INVESTIGATION AND DOCUMENTATION
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STRATEGIC LITIGATION: BRINGING LAWSUITS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST
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1. What is strategic litigation?
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2. Role of public interest organizations
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3. Why litigation?
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4. Selecting a test case
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5. Developing and presenting the test case
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6. Effects of strategic litigation
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7. Litigation as part of a comprehensive strategy
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CAMPAIGNING FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST
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1. Campaigning to achieve public interest goals
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2. Preparing for public interest campaigns
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3. Developing a campaign strategy
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4. Choosing campaigning techniques
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5. Building coalitions and other collaboration
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6. International campaigning
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Constructing a campaign: Tolerance Foundation’s efforts to amend the Czech Citizenship Law
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NGO ADVOCACY BEFORE INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
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NGOs and the European human rights system
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1. Council of Europe mechanisms for human rights protection
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2. Legal mechanisms within the CoE
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3. Political mechanisms within the CoE
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4. Admission process and human rights monitoring within the CoE
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5. European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (1993)
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6. NGO/CoE cooperation in promotion, information, and training
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Role of the European Union (EU) in the protection of human rights
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Role of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the
protection of human rights
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NGOs and the human rights system of the United Nations
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1. United Nations Charter–based mechanisms
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2. United Nations treaty-based mechanisms
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3. Methods and strategies for NGO intervention
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ACCESS TO JUSTICE: LEGAL AID FOR THE UNDERREPRESENTED
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1. Problem of unequal access
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2. Laws on legal services in Central and Eastern Europe
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3. Sources of law relating to legal aid
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4. Selected national legal aid systems
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5. Promoting effective legal representation for all
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CLINICAL LEGAL EDUCATION: FORMING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LAWYERS
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1. Concept, history, and forms of clinical legal education
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2. Goals of clinical legal education programs
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3. Establishing a clinical legal education program
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4. Putting it all together
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PUBLIC EDUCATION ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, LAW, AND DEMOCRACY:
THE STREET LAWTM MODEL
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1. What is Street Law?
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2. The Street Law movement: The U.S. perspective
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3. Benefits of Street Law to law students and others
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4. Developing Street Law programs
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Russia’s Living Law project
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5. Methods of teaching human rights, law, and democracy: The South African perspective
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6. Developing Street Law course materials
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7. Creating teachers manuals
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