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January update
Welcome to the Thomson Reuters Foundation's monthly newsletter!
New global study maps evolving legal needs across civil society, and where legal support is needed most
Civil society organisations (CSOs) are navigating one of the most challenging environments in recent decades, from funding cuts to increasing regulatory and political pressure.
Through TrustLaw, our global pro bono service, we surveyed over 140 CSO members from our network to understand how their legal needs had changed over the last 12 months. Most respondents were small, grassroots organisations with fewer than 50 staff.
Our data-led learnings are presented in our second annual TRF Insight report: Rising pressure, rising needs.
What the data shows
We found that 50% of respondents globally reported increasing legal needs in the last year alone. We also found that critical legal needs differed by geography:
- In Africa, Asia and Latin America, priorities were linked to increased scrutiny and political pressure.
- In Europe and North America, organisations were more focused on "compliance-adjacent" areas, such as data protection and employment.
What this means
Demand for pro bono is both growing and diversifying - spanning traditional areas like contracts and employment law to complex, fast-moving domains like data protection, AI regulation, and “foreign agent” frameworks.
- For CSOs: This report provides actionable insights about trending legal needs to help inform capacity planning and risk awareness.
- For law firms: This report demonstrates the critical importance of pro bono legal support and the measurable impact it has on organisational survival and resilience.
Download the full report to explore our complete findings and recommendations.
For civil society organisations seeking legal support, join our TrustLaw network to get connected with legal experts.
This month's essential insights
Strengthening Independent Media
Responsible use of AI is essential to journalism's ongoing commitment to accuracy, fairness, transparency, and accountability. When thoughtfully integrated, AI tools can amplify newsroom capabilities while preserving the human judgement that defines quality journalism.
Our recent four-month programme working with four South African newsrooms demonstrated how establishing robust editorial policies and guardrails enabled journalists to leverage AI's potential while minimising risk.
In case you missed it, our practical starter guide, Three steps to an AI-ready newsroom, is designed to help more newsrooms identify ethical risks in their AI applications and take action to mitigate them.
Enabling Access to the Law
Young people across Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Kyrgyzstan face legal barriers to accessing critical healthcare services, which can lead to unnecessary and preventable harm.
Our Barriers to Young People's Access to Healthcare report provides an accessible and comprehensive legal analysis comparing national laws against international human rights standards, which can be used for evidence-based advocacy campaigns to protect and promote young people's health.
Promoting Responsible Business
AI is transforming Africa's economy and society, with it predicted to contribute up to $100bn in annual economic value.
In response to the continent's emerging regulatory landscape, our AI Governance for Africa toolkit analyses the state of AI governance in Africa and across the globe.
The toolkit also explores how data protection laws currently regulate AI and provides actionable exercises to help advocates in campaigning for rights-based AI policies.
This month we recommend
📝Complete our survey:
Are you a journalist, editor, or press freedom advocate in South Africa? We need your voice. By sparing a few minutes to share your experiences, you can help protect yourself and future generations of journalists from malicious legal threats.
Your responses will shape a report that aims to inform civil society organisations fighting for press freedom and give policymakers the evidence they need to protect journalists and strengthen the profession.
Take 2 minutes now to contribute your experience.
✍️Apply:
For Journalists
- Journalist Fellowship at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism | Deadline Friday 13th February, 23:59 GMT
- Reporting on Business and Human Rights | Deadline Sunday 15th February at 18:00 GMT
- Global AI Accelerator for Media | International Press Institute | Deadline Wednesday 4th February, 21:59 GMT
For Civil Society Organisations
- Business and Human Rights Advocacy Training | Deadline Sunday 15th February at 18:00 GMT
📖 Read:
- 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer Report | Edelman
- Reporter’s guide to detecting AI-generated content | Global Investigative Journalism Network
- The old aid model is dead. Now comes the fight over what replaces it | Devex
- Rich countries’ greater use of AI risks deepening inequality, Anthropic warns | Financial Times
We are the corporate foundation of Thomson Reuters, the global content and technology company. We leverage our media, legal and data-driven expertise to strengthen independent journalism, enable access to the law and promote responsible business.
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