Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance has won the Best International Pro Bono Award at the 2021 LawWorks Awards for its Cornerstone initiative in Rwanda which, over a five year period, is investing £1 million per year alongside extensive pro bono and other in kind support, in order to improve well-being in the poorest communities in Kigali.

Working closely with theory of change and impact measurement expertise from the development sector, and having carried out extensive consultation with the people living in these communities in order to properly understand the issues that most hamper their well-being, Cornerstone has to date delivered 9 projects in partnership with local and international NGOs, tackling a wide range of issues, including mental health problems confronting genocide survivors, tech and coding education, the welfare of single mothers, the development of the local pro bono and legal aid sector and the restoration of local habitats.

The initiative has so far engaged over 100 partners, business professionals and lawyers from across 18 Clifford Chance offices, working on a pro bono basis to deliver some of the technical and legal expertise and human capital required for the successful delivery of the projects.

Tom Dunn, pro bono director, said "We are working in new ways in our 5-year Cornerstone initiative to improve well-being in Kigali, Rwanda, particularly in relation to scale, sustainability, impact measurement and in being led by the communities we are aiming to serve in the way that we shape our programmes. We are delighted to win the award and grateful to LawWorks for recognising the work we are doing."