DLA Piper - Support Centres

DLA Piper is a private law firm that provides legal support to staff and freelance journalists, editors, media outlets; civic media/bloggers as well as NGOs that provide legal, financial or advocacy support for journalists/media outlets, and/or journalist associations in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey and UK.

The person to be contacted is Özgür Kahale from Pro Bono Counsel (ozgur.kahale@dlapiper.com or +33 1 40 15 25 13). The fee is Pro Bono.

Association of Journalists of Macedonia - Support Centres

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) provides legal and advocacy support to staff journalists, editors, media outlets and freelance journalists. The service is paid through fixed rates, while for associated members it is free.
The person to be contacted is Dragan Sekulovski, via email dsekulovski@znm.org.mk, or contact@znm.org.mk or phone +389 2 2671 201.

ARTICLE 19 - Support Centres

ARTICLE 19 is an international NGO based in London and operating all over Europe. Article 19 offers free legal advice and advocacy support for Staff journalists, editors, media outlets, civic journalists/bloggers, freelance journalists, NGOs, and/or journalist associations.

E-mail: info@article19.org

European Federation of Journalists - Support Centres

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is the largest organization for journalists in Europe, representing over 320,000 journalists in 68 journalists’ organisations across 42 countries. EFJ has its headquarters in Brussel.

EFJ offers free legal, financial and advocacy support to staff journalists, editors, media outlets, freelance journalists, media outlets, and journalist associations.

Share Foundation (Serbia) - Support Centres

The Share Foundation is an international NGO based in Belgrade (Serbia). SHARE Defense is part of the Share Foundation and its goal is to fight for the public interest concerning digital rights within the fields of privacy, free speech, government transparency and efficiency, surveillance and human rights.

Share Foundation provides low cost legal and advocacy support to staff journalists, editors, media outlets, bloggers, freelance journalists, NGOs and journalist associations in Serbia.

SHARE Defense staff includes lawyers, analysts, journalists and technicians with an expertise in the protection of digital rights.

Bar Pro Bono Unit (England and Wales) - Support Centres

Bar Pro Bono Unit, a Clearing House operating in England and Wales, is a contact point between the public in need of legal advice and lawyers. People in need of legal aid and unable to afford to pay it, can apply to the organization and in case they meet the criteria are matched with a lawyer willing to donate his/her time and expertise to the case. bar Pro Bono Unit is active in support of organizations dealing with media professionals' rights. More details on the selection criteria and the application process can be found here .

Pro Bono Aliance (Czech Republic) - Support Centres

Pro Bono Aliance is a Prague-based Clearing House that operates in Czech Republic. Pro Bono Aliance matches the needs for free legal aid of civil society and NGOs that provide legal, financial or advocacy support for journalists/media outlets, and/or journalist associations, with attorneys and law firms willing to provide pro bono legal services.

Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI) - Support Centres

Media Defence (also known as MLDI) provides legal defence to independent media, journalists and bloggers around the world who are under threat for their reporting. MLDI does this by administering an emergency defence fund, helping journalists, bloggers and independent media pay legal fees, and provides legal expertise to the lawyer(s) defending a case. 

MLDI also engages in strategic litigation to challenge repressive laws and expand the space for media freedom. Through this, it seeks to advance respect for international law and norms on the right to freedom of expression. MLDI submits cases to domestic courts and international tribunals and intervenes in cases already under way, as well as supporting national lawyers to do the same.

In countries where the threat of legal action is high and constant, MLDI provides financial support and legal expertise to national organisations that provide legal defence services to journalists.

MLDI also runs training and networking programmes for lawyers in the fields of media law and human rights. 

E-mail: info@mediadefence.org

Observatory of Media Freedom (Poland) - Support Centres

'The Observatory of Media Freedom in Poland' is a legal program founded by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) in 2008 and operates in Poland. Its focus is on the protection related to freedom of expression in traditional media as well as on the Internet. 

The program provides legal aid concerning inter alia issues such as criminal defamation, press law offences, protection of journalistic sources of information, the liability of the Internet service providers etc. During court proceedings, the ‘Observatory’ can as well arrange pro bono legal assistance for journalists who cannot afford to pay for regular legal aid.

Ossigeno per l'Informazione - Support Centres

Ossigeno per l'Informazione grants free legal assistance for journalists to help them resist the pressure of intimidation, thanks to the cooperation with the London-based Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI).

The Legal Office of Ossigeno is coordinated by the lawyer Andrea Di Pietro, an expert in information and communication law and legal consultant to Ossigeno per l’Informazione.

E-mail: sportellolegaleossigeno@gmail.com