For women and girls facing child marriage, domestic abuse or discrimination, getting legal help can be difficult when lawyers are expensive or courts are far away. The Clooney Foundation for Justice is working to address these barriers through free legal assistance, community-based clinics and legal advocacy. Co-founded by actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, the organisation says its work has helped thousands of women and children access legal services and defend their rights.According to the foundation’s official Our Impact page, more than 9,000 women and children have received free legal services, while its broader work includes over 10,000 hours of free legal aid in defence of women’s rights and free speech. Its Waging Justice for Women programme works with local organisations to reach marginalised communities, including remote areas affected by child marriage and gender-based violence. The foundation also supports women lawyers through fellowships designed to strengthen legal representation and advocacy across Africa.
Mobile legal clinics reach women in remote communities
One of the foundation’s key initiatives is its mobile legal aid programme, which brings legal advice and support closer to women and girls who might otherwise struggle to access the justice system. Through its Waging Justice for Women programme, the foundation partnered with the Women Lawyers Association (WLA) in Malawi to establish mobile clinics in 12 communities identified as child marriage hotspots. According to its impact report, these clinics advised more than 4,000 women and girls on issues including gender-based violence, protective orders and financial independence for women and their children.The clinics are designed to address practical barriers to legal support. Women facing abuse or discrimination may not know their legal rights, have the money to hire a lawyer or be able to travel to a legal aid centre. By working with local women’s organisations and lawyers, the programme offers a more accessible way to seek advice and representation. The foundation also reports that its technical and substantive support helped the Women Lawyers Association of Malawi reach almost 7,000 people in 2024 through legal information, advice and representation. This figure covers the association’s broader legal services and should be distinguished from the foundation’s separate figure for women and girls advised through the 12 mobile clinics.
Tackling child marriage and gender-based violence
The foundation’s women’s rights work extends beyond individual legal cases. Its Waging Justice for Women programme, launched in 2022, combines legal representation, strategic litigation and public advocacy to challenge discriminatory laws and improve access to justice. Child marriage is one of its central areas of focus. The foundation works with local partners to provide legal support to girls and women affected by the practice, while also advocating for changes to laws and policies that permit or fail to prevent it.The organisation has also highlighted the connection between gender-based violence and barriers to accountability. Survivors may encounter stigma, inadequate legal protection or difficulties reporting abuse. Through its partners, the foundation seeks to help survivors obtain legal assistance while challenging practices that prevent women from pursuing justice. Its work includes support for legal action in South Africa concerning laws that can silence survivors of sexual violence and their supporters. The foundation says these efforts are intended to strengthen accountability and make it easier for victims to seek redress.
Fellowships prepare the next generation of women lawyers
Another part of the initiative focuses on building the capacity of women lawyers who can represent women and children in their own communities. The foundation’s fellowship programme provides placements, training and mentoring for early-career African women lawyers. Fellows work with legal aid organisations, universities, human rights groups and government prosecution services, gaining practical experience in legal research, client support, court representation and advocacy. According to the foundation’s fellowship page, since the programme began in 2023, its fellows have worked on more than 500 cases concerning women’s and children’s rights and supported over 2,000 women and children through legal assistance, advocacy and legal education. Their work has addressed issues including gender-based violence, reproductive rights and child marriage.From August 2026, the Waging Justice for Women Fellowship Programme was renamed the CFJ Fellowship Programme. The foundation says its recruitment, eligibility requirements and application processes remain unchanged. The initiative is intended to build a network of legal professionals who can continue working on women’s rights after their placements end. Fellows receive mentoring and training and can join an alumni network for continued professional support.
Legal advocacy extends beyond individual cases
The foundation’s wider impact includes efforts to change laws and policies through court cases and advocacy. In Tanzania, the foundation supported legal action that contributed to the reversal of a policy excluding married and pregnant girls from school. In El Salvador, the foundation reports that its intervention in a case involving the prosecution of women following miscarriages contributed to a compensation order of $200,000 and legal reforms.Together, these initiatives illustrate the different ways the Clooney Foundation for Justice approaches access to justice: providing immediate legal assistance, supporting local organisations, training lawyers and challenging discriminatory rules. Its reported figure of more than 9,000 women and children receiving free legal services reflects the scale of that work, while the mobile clinics demonstrate how legal support can reach communities that might otherwise remain underserved.