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On 24 April 2026, the Faculty of Law and Administration, Maria Curie Sklodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin, hosted the second forum of the “Lawyers – NGOs: Building the Path to Cooperation” Forum—an event bringing together legal professionals, civil society organisations, and public institutions to develop more effective models of pro bono collaboration.
The Forum, organised by the Lublin Bar Association of Attorneys-at-Law and the “nam Prawo Foundation, serves as a platform for dialogue where law is understood not merely as a formal framework, but as a practical tool for supporting individuals and communities in vulnerable situations.
This year,, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) played an important role by contributing an international perspective and its experience in working with children—particularly refugee and migrant children and victims of human rights violations, including trafficking. KIND’s participation in the panel on building international cooperation networks offered practical insights into how pro bono legal support mechanisms operate in humanitarian and migration contexts.
A particularly valuable aspect of the discussion was the presence of organisations with which KIND works closely in Poland and across Europe, including European Lawyers in Lesvos (ELIL) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The exchange of experiences highlighted the importance of coordinated, cross-sector, and international responses to the needs of people in crisis. It also underscored the value of practical cooperation models that integrate pro bono legal assistance with humanitarian action and psychosocial support.
The Forum provided an important opportunity to share experience in working with children in crisis situations and to emphasis the role of specialised legal support as a key component of child protection systems. These contributions formed part of a broader discussion on the need to build sustainable, well-structured networks of cooperation between legal professionals and civil society.
The Forum also created space to discuss concrete tools supporting such cooperation, including the development of a platform connecting NGOs with lawyers. Initiatives of this kind are essential to ensuring that legal assistance is not provided on an ad hoc basis but is accessible in a structured and needs-based way.
KIND’s participation in the Forum is part of its broader work to strengthen child protection systems through capacity-building for lawyers and the development of cross-sector partnerships. The exchange of experience with partners—including ELIL and MSF—and with organisations operating in Poland supports not only a deeper understanding of local challenges, but also the identification of solutions that can be adapted and scaled across different contexts.
It was an honour to take part in the Forum and to engage in the highly interesting and important discussions around closer pro bono cooperation between lawyers, NGOs and public institutions. The Forum provided practical mechanisms and examples of how the legal sector can work together to uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of individuals and communities in vulnerable situations. We strongly believe that these kinds of cooperations are of crucial importance and, in this regard, I am delighted that ELIL continues our deep cooperation with KIND and that we are working together more closely to support children in Poland. — Philip Worthington, Managing Director, ELIL
The “Lawyers – NGOs” Forum in Lublin demonstrated that effective legal assistance for those most in need requires not only expertise and commitment, but above all cooperation. In this process, organisations such as KIND—working closely with international partners—play an important role in building sustainable and effective pro bono models of support.
