In an announcement that is worth paying attention to amid the noise of Legaltech 19, LexisNexis has announced the launch of the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation, a not-for-profit entity established to advance the rule of law around the world, which will include giving access to its huge global data respository to those helping to achieve that goal.
The LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation will enable leading entities from the legal, judicial, academic, NGO and other sectors to support and implement projects that address one or more of the four rule of law components: equal treatment under the law, transparency of the law, access to legal remedy, and independent judiciaries.
To help accomplish this, the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation will include collaborations with organizations to help increase awareness and understanding of the rule of law. The foundation’s first partnership is with The Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), an international association of journalism organizations that support the training and sharing of information among investigative and data journalists – even in repressive regimes and marginalized communities. LexisNexis will offer GIJN members access to its electronic databases and analytic tools for legal, public-records, news and business information.
At a briefing in Lexis’ NYC office in Park Avenue it’s clear that people are really passionate about the new foundation, rather than regarding it as a CSR initiative. The project is being led by head of rule of law Teresa Jennings and EVP and general counsel Ian McDougall.
“Rule of law is foundational to the development of peaceful, equitable and prosperous societies,” says Mike Walsh, CEO, LexisNexis Legal & Professional. “Data from the LexisNexis Rule of Law Impact Tracker shows that when the rule of law is strong in a country, other positive social and economic factors within the country are also strong. It is our hope the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation will provide the necessary resources and support to shed light on emerging issues critical to advancing the rule of law around the world.”
To learn more about the Rule of Law Foundation, visit www.lexisnexisrolfoundation.org.