irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $47KBABSEACLE holds an externship clinic program to support and development, justice education, as well as pro bono and access to justice initiatives throughout the Asian region. Interns were placed in one of our partner universities in the region, to teach CLE English to law teachers and law students. The CLE English curriculum combines English comprehension with CLE content and methodologies. As well as teaching, interns also had the responsibility of helping to develop the CLE English case studies and curriculum through researching, contextualizing & creating independent lesson plans. More than 40 interns were placed in the program. Interns from many countries participated with placement between 2 - 6 weeks.
- #2 $295KBABSEACLES Pro Bono and Legal Ethics Initiatives in Asia and globally. These initiatives, trainings, materials etc work with over 700 persons each year across the legal community including lawyers, legal service providers, legal educators, students, judges, government officials, and civil society professionals. All the initiatives are designed and delivered with a mandate of inspiring and building a strong committment to pro bono, legal ethics, rule of law, and justice education in the region and internationally.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Asia Fair Trial Practices Roundtable
Online initiative bringing together legal practitioners and civil society to discuss fair trial standards, including digital security and disability inclusion in criminal proceedings.
Asia Pro Bono Roundtable
Quarterly virtual forum fostering regional collaboration on sustainable pro bono practices, launched in 2020 during the pandemic.
International Externship Clinic
Places law students and legal professionals as interns in partner universities across Southeast Asia to teach and develop Clinical Legal Education (CLE) curricula, focusing on English comprehension integrated with legal content.
Mobile Legal Clinics and Community Teaching
Community-based legal outreach in Laos and Thailand, delivering legal education and services to rural populations, with focus on gender equality and access to justice.
Pro Bono and Legal Ethics Initiatives
Regional and global training programs for lawyers, legal educators, students, and civil society professionals to promote pro bono service, legal ethics, and rule of law.
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Legal Education and Career Pipeline Programs 3 activities
- Building capacity in clinical and community legal educationSupports the establishment and strengthening of university-based and community-based Clinical Legal Education (CLE) programs across Asia through technical assistance, curriculum development, and institutional partnerships with law faculties in countries including Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand.
- Operating an international legal externship clinic programCoordinates and hosts an International Legal Studies Externship Clinic that places over 40 law student interns annually at partner universities in Asia to teach Clinical Legal Education (CLE) in English and support curriculum development, with academic credit eligibility.
- Organizing cross-border law student exchange and skills programsOrganizes cross-border “law camping” programs and mock court exercises—including mock sentencing hearings for gender-based violence cases—that connect law students from Thailand with international peers to practice legal advocacy, analytical skills, and ethical standards in simulated environments.
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Legal Professional Development & Networking 2 activities
- Co-organizing regional fair trial and clinical legal education conferencesCo-organizes regional conferences and roundtables to advance fair trial practices, clinical legal education, and pro bono initiatives across Asia, including the Asia Fair Trial Practices Roundtable and the Asia Clinical Legal Education Conferences, bringing together hundreds of participants from multiple countries in hybrid formats.
- Facilitating clinical legal education exchanges and collaborationsOrganizes and facilitates exposure visits, study tours, and collaborative exchanges between students, professors, and legal professionals across Asia and Australia, including connecting new clinics with established ones and with pro bono departments of law firms.
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Professional Certification and Continuing Education 2 activities
- Developing legal curricula and educational materialsDevelops and supports the creation of interactive legal curricula, manuals, and training materials on pro bono service, ethics, professional responsibility, and CLE methodology for law faculties, NGOs, government organizations, and legal service providers across Asia.
- Training legal professionals in ethics and legal skillsProvides intensive training and ongoing support for lawyers, law professors, and legal academics in professional ethics, legal skills development, and clinical pedagogy to strengthen justice education and legal practice standards across Asia.
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Human Rights Advocacy & Accountability 1 activity
- Advocating for access to justice and rule of law through public eventsHosts virtual awareness and fundraising events and co-presents legal seminars to promote access to justice, rule of law, and social justice issues such as human trafficking among global audiences and regional partners in Southeast Asia.
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Volunteer and Professional Training Programs 1 activity
- Conducting training-of-trainers workshops for legal educators and community leadersConducts grassroots "training of trainers" workshops using interactive Community Legal Education methodologies to build the capacity of law teachers, clinic staff, law students, paralegals, and community leaders across Asia, including in Malaysia, Laos, and Thailand.
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Human Rights & Peace Education Curriculum 1 activity
- Delivering community legal education and outreach programsConducts direct legal education outreach through community teaching sessions on gender equality, child grooming prevention, human rights, and access to legal aid, targeting vulnerable populations including women, children, HIV support groups, and juvenile detainees in locations across Southeast Asia.
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Pro Bono Legal Representation and Support 1 activity
- Providing pro bono legal services and ethics trainingDelivers pro bono legal services and ethics training to over 500–700 individuals annually across Asia and globally, including lawyers, law students, judges, and civil society professionals, while engaging students in pro bono projects on human trafficking, LGBTQ+ rights, and refugee rights.
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Academic Research Dissemination 1 activity
- Publishing research and conference proceedingsProduces and publishes research outputs, including a conference compendium compiling papers and abstracts from the 3rd Asia Clinical Legal Education Conference, to disseminate knowledge on clinical legal education and access to justice.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$970K
Contributions & grants$911K94%
Program service revenue$59K6%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$795K
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead14%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$47K
Grants paid out$657K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$612K
Cash$604K
Investments$0
Liabilities$437K
Net assets$176K
Liquid reserves9.1 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +7.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRUCE A LASKY | DIRECTOR | 40 | $47K |
board members · 7
- CHRISTOPHER WALSH — DIRECTOR
- FOO YUET MIN — DIRECTOR
- LESLIE KRAMER — DIRECTOR
- NARUEDOL WANNARAT — DIRECTOR
- NICHOLAS THOMSON — DIRECTOR
- WENDY MORRISH — DIRECTOR
- YUVAL ELBASHAN — DIRECTOR
relationships · 59
Who they work with
- BABSEACLE Partner — Collaborates with BABSEACLE to develop and support Community and Clinical Legal Education programmes.
- CARE International Partner — Later supporter and partner of BABSEACLE’s regional Clinical Legal Education initiatives.
- CLE Foundation Partner — Later supporter and partner of BABSEACLE’s regional Clinical Legal Education initiatives.
- Centre for Law and Transformative Change Partner — Co-presents speakers for a roundtable on digital security in legal practice.
- Centre for Law and Transformative Change (CLTC) Partner — Co-organized the First-quarter 2026 Asia Fair Trial Practices Roundtable with BABSEACLE.
- Chiang Mai University Partner — Co-hosted a conference on clinical legal education and collaborates on law clinic initiatives.
- Chiang Mai University Partner — Hosts the Asia CLE Mock GBV Sentencing Hearing Workshop and Event at UNISERV, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.
- Civil Society Organizations for Gender Equality (CSOsGE) Partner — Co-organized an International Women’s Day event in Chiang Mai with BABSEACLE.
- DLA Piper Partner — Co-organizes the Future Lawyers Skills course with BABSEACLE for law students in Vietnam.
- DLA Piper Partner — Jointly developed a culturally relevant Pro Bono, Ethics and Professional Responsibility curriculum with BABSEACLE and Herbert Smith Freehills.
- Faculty of Law and Administration, Champasak University Partner — Partner in establishing the second CLE program (CLECPS) in November 2017
- Faculty of Law and Political Science, National University of Laos Partner — Collaborative partner in developing and supporting Clinical Legal Education (CLE) programs since 2007
- Faculty of Law, Chiang Mai University Partner — Co-hosted the 3rd Asia Clinical Legal Education Conference with BABSEACLE.
- Foreign Trade University Partner — Co-organizes and hosts the Future Lawyers Skills course with BABSEACLE in Vietnam.
- Gate Theater Partner — Partnered with BABSEACLE to produce and perform a play on human trafficking and social justice.
- Global Alliance for Justice Education Partner — Like-minded organization engaged by BABSEACLE founders to strengthen mentoring and support for Clinical Legal Education development.
- Global Alliance for Justice Education (GAJE) Network — BABSEACLE leadership actively participates in GAJE conferences and global academic forums.
- Herbert Smith Freehills Funder — Provided generous support for the 3rd Asia Clinical Legal Education Conference, advancing the CLE movement across Asia.
- Herbert Smith Freehills Partner — Collaborates on funding CLE clinics, co-presenting legal seminars, advising on the establishment of BABSEACLE Australia, and jointly developing a pro bono and ethics curriculum.
- Indiana University McKinney School of Law Partner — Partners to send law students for internships with BABSEACLE and hosts BABSEACLE staff for lectures and debriefings.
- Institute of Justice Champasak Campus Partner — Partner institution involved in CLE program development
- Institute of Justice Luangphabang Campus Partner — Partner institution involved in CLE program development
- Institute of Justice Savannakhet Campus Partner — Partner institution involved in CLE program development
- International Islamic University Partner — Hosted the First Malaysian CLE Conference organized with BABSEACLE
- Intrépido Ltd Partner — Participated in post-play discussions on human trafficking with BABSEACLE.
- JUST Impact Partner — Facilitated post-play discussions on human trafficking alongside BABSEACLE.
- Lux Development Partner — Later supporter and partner of BABSEACLE’s regional Clinical Legal Education initiatives.
- Malaysian Bar Council Partner — Collaborated with BABSEACLE on organizing the First Malaysian Bar Council CLE Supervisor Training Workshop
- National Institute of Justice Vientiane Capital Partner — Partner institution involved in CLE program development
- National University of Laos Partner — Receives support for its CLE clinic, including funding for staffing.
+ 29 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Adaptive, Contextualized CLE Modelsmethodology: contextualized-model-developmentBy collaboratively developing and iteratively refining Clinical Legal Education programs with local partners across diverse contexts, we ensure relevance and sustainability, because regionally adapted models are more likely to be adopted and maintained by local institutions than imported templates.
- CLE as Cross-Institutional Bridgemethodology: bridging-institutionsBy embedding Clinical Legal Education at the intersection of law schools, civil society, government, and NGOs, we expand access to legal services and strengthen justice systems, because sustained collaboration across sectors leverages diverse resources and builds shared ownership of access-to-justice outcomes.
- Clinical Legal Education as Dual Pathwaymethodology: clinical-legal-educationBy engaging law students in pro bono service through clinical legal education (CLE), we simultaneously improve access to justice for marginalized communities and cultivate a future generation of socially responsible, pro bono-committed legal professionals, because experiential learning fosters ethical commitment and community accountability.
- Experiential Learning for Rule of Lawmethodology: experiential_learningBy using simulated client interactions, courtroom experiences, and problem-solving-based methods, we strengthen legal skills and promote fair trial standards, because immersive, hands-on practice deepens understanding of legal procedure and reinforces the Rule of Law more effectively than theoretical instruction alone.
- Pro Bono Culture Institutionalizationmethodology: pro-bono-culture-buildingBy integrating pro bono ethics and service into legal education and professional development, we create lasting cultural change within legal institutions, because early and repeated exposure to pro bono norms during training leads to long-term professional commitment to justice and rule of law.