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Since 1999, the International Legal Resource Center (ILRC), has been providing technical legal assistance to rule of law and democratic governance implementers who work in developing countries by providing legal experts possessing impressive international development track records. Our clients include the UNDP, UN Women, UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and the World Bank Group.

Experts for long-term and short-term in-country assignments are selected from a database or 2,000 international legal experts from over 100 countries. To date, the ILRC has carried out over 300 projects worldwide, ranging from legal empowerment of the poor, to institution building and access to justice issues to addressing large-scale problems such as systemic corruption. Experts interested in becoming part of the ILRC database can register here.

The ILRC also conducts assessments of draft and current legislation. Requests for legal resources, legislative assessments and research have grown to make up more than half of our International Legal Resource Center (ILRC) projects. Over the past two years our projects have focused on data protection laws, cybercrime legislation, climate change and environmental law, legal aid, constitutional reform and other related rule of law issues. In order to achieve long-term and sustainable results, emphasis has been placed on capacity building, implementation and enforcement as well as monitoring and evaluation.

The ILRC also provides support to “Open Government Partnership” (OGP) member countries; assisting with implementation of their OGP National Action Plans. Moving forward, the ILRC will play a substantive role in supporting the post-2015 UN development agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. 

The ILRC is well-positioned to continue our growth and engage new clients and challenges. Please join us as we expand our mission and continue to help bring the rule of law to new parts of the world.

Timothy L. Dickinson
Co-Chair, ILRC

Michael E. Burke
Co-Chair, ILRC

How to Get Involved

Thank you for your interest in working with the ABA UNDP International Legal Resource Center (ILRC). The ILRC has been a technical legal assistance provider to UNDP since 1999. In addition to placing legal experts in the field for UNDP short and long term assignments, we also aid UNDP country offices in over 166 countries by conducting legal research and analysis based on international standards and compiling assessments of domestic legislation. Through the ABA and our international database we have access to a wide network of talented attorneys, law professors, judges, and other legal professionals.

We are continually searching to diversify our pool of legal experts. If you are interested in UNDP opportunities, the way forward from here is to register in our database and subscribe to our listserv. Following registration, you will receive periodical alerts for placements in UNDP country offices and regional service centers worldwide. After legal experts express interest by responding to the alerts, the ILRC short lists the most qualified candidates and refers them to the appropriate UNDP office or center. UNDP staff select the final candidate.

Please register to be a legal expert with the ABA-UNDP/ILRC by completing the registration form. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact
Jinny Choi at +1-202-662-1675 or [email protected].