What we do
Connect communities to Pro bono lawyers
If you have a climate-related issue and need legal support, we may be able to connect you with a lawyer who can help.
Lawyers for Climate Action is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice ourselves - instead, we match people and groups with climate-related legal issues with lawyers in our network who offer pro bono (free) or reduced-fee assistance.
Who we can help: Individuals, community groups, and non-profits working on matters in the public interest that align with our purpose.
What we prioritise: Issues focused on climate change and climate impacts (rather than general environmental harms), particularly those with significant public interest. This can include:
environmental and planning law;
governance and structure;
advocacy and regulatory issues;
climate-related risk and disclosure.
The law is one of the most powerful tools for responding to the climate crisis.
But it is also difficult and expensive to access.
We are trying to fix that.
25+
Pro bono matches since 2023
2500+
Hours of pro & low-bono lawyers’ time
~$875,000
Hours of legal work provided for free
Submit a request for pro bono assistance
LCANZI facilitates a “match-making” service between skilled volunteers, and those who are in need of climate-change related legal assistance.
LCANZI has a panel of volunteers who may be willing to assist community groups and individuals on a reduced fee, or pro bono, basis.
How it works:
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Tell us about your legal issue in the form to the right.
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We review eligibility and scope.
Eligibility: We only consider requests from individuals, community groups, and non-profit groups on matters that are in the public interest and align with our purpose and values.
Scope: We prioritise cases of significant public interest and are particularly focused on climate change and its impacts (as opposed to general environmental harms). Any community group or individual who thinks that they could benefit from such assistance and who falls within the above criteria can contact our pro-bono coordinator by filling out the form below. The pro-bono coordinator will discuss with them whether we can offer support and if so, will put them in contact with a suitable lawyer.
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If suitable, we connect you with a pro bono lawyer from our network.
What to expect:
We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice ourselves. Our role is to connect you with a lawyer who can.
We will do our best to find a match, but we cannot guarantee one. Demand often exceeds the capacity of our volunteer network. If we can't help, we may refer you to other organisations where appropriate.
Any lawyer-client relationship is between you and the lawyer we connect you with, not Lawyers for Climate Action.
Join our pro-bono panel
Provide pro-bono or reduced-fee legal services to communities, individuals, and organisations with climate-related legal concerns. We act as the matching service between communities and practising lawyers willing to help.
Requests vary, and can include:
Legal research
Non-profit governance and structure
Litigation
How it works:
Fill out this form describing the kind of work you're willing to take on.
Our pro-bono coordinator may contact you if we need to clarify anything.
When a request comes through that matches your offer and skills, we'll put you in contact with the activist or organisation.
You have no obligation to take on any request we send you.
Click here to see our privacy statement.
If you have any questions, you can contact our pro bono coordinator at probono@lawyersforclimateaction.nz.
Help us make a bigger impact today
Join our community of nearly 400 members and receive monthly updates on our work, the opportunity to contribute, and connect with other members. Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc. is a New Zealand registered charity and is not for profit