BarefootLaw is a Ugandan non-profit which aims to provide legal services and information through innovative uses of digital technology. Established in 2012, it envisions a world where legal support is freely and readily available regardless of socioeconomic circumstance or geographic isolation. The organization broadcasts itself widely across Uganda through a variety of channels: SMS messages and toll-free calls, the internet and social media, community radio, and in-person outreach programs. Clients with specific legal questions in turn reach out to BarefootLaw—often via their mobile phone—and are connected with a combined team of volunteers and attorneys working pro bono who provide aid and advisement services free of charge, ranging from initial case consultation to direct involvement with legal proceedings.

Theory of Change

Digital technology can expand access to justice by allowing vulnerable and disconnected members of society to access quality legal services, and provides novel avenues for community empowerment.

Activities

Developed initially as a Facebook page, Barefoot Law handles roughly 100 legal matters a day, ranging from mediating land disputes between rural farmers to assisting domestic abuse survivors in pursuing judicial remedies. Leveraging novel assistance venues—like physical legal aid clinics synched remotely via video to the organization’s headquarters and managed automatically by AI named Winnie—they aim to make legal services accessible to 50 million Africans by 2030.

Results

Since its founding, over 940,000 users have been given access to legal information services via Barefoot Law. Of those, close to 18,000 have had their legal issues conclusively resolved after accessing support. Looking to expand their services beyond Uganda to neighboring countries like Zambia, Kenya, and Malawi, the organization is taking an increasingly international approach to advocacy.