The purpose of the Pro Bono Assistance project was to match experienced volunteer lawyers with nonprofit organizations and indigent individuals in need of free legal services. JRI discovered that it was imperative to put in place infrastructure (The Clearinghouse) that will help achieve the overall objective to address the obstacles to access justice, which is deeply entrenched in the Nigerian society.
The National Clearinghouse which was established in Abuja signed on over 500 volunteer lawyers, as well as sixteen (16) law firms. The portal and expertise of the Clearinghouse staff have served as the basis of initiatives to partner with Ministries of Justice and other requesting entities to introduce people-centered justice reforms. Since its inception, the Clearinghouse has provided free legal services to vulnerable groups from Abuja, Kaduna, Osun, Ogun and Sokoto States in over 173 completed cases, which involved pre-trial detainees, survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, employees dismissed by employers and many others.