News
Open Society Foundations to Host “Lawyering on the Margins” Meeting in Denmark
In November 2011, the Open Society Public Health Program will host a global gathering in Copenhagen of lawyers who work with marginalized groups, namely people who use drugs, sex workers, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. There is increasing recognition within the field of public health and human rights, from bodies such as UNAIDS, that increasing access to justice through legal aid and legal empowerment can effectively address barriers to health services and other social determinants of health.
The Open Society Public Health Program supports lawyers across the world in their work with civil society groups and marginalized populations. These lawyers are often left to work in isolation and without any recognition or support. At the Copenhagen meeting, entitled "Lawyering on the Margins," approximately 30 lawyers will have the opportunity to meet, network, and learn from their peers in other countries about their successes, failures, strategies, and aspirations for ensuring that those who are on the margins of society have access to justice.
"Lawyering on the Margins" comes as part of the Open Society Foundations' commitment to developing this unique field of legal practice.
