3 minute read
Legal
LEGAL PRO BONO “It’s the Decade of Doing”
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An unlikely pair at first sight, the world’s largest law firm Dentons and non-profit Justdiggit are actually a great match, sharing a passion for digging in and doing things differently. In just ten years, Justdiggit has regreened more than 300,000 hectares of land and brought back over 10 million trees in Africa.
Justdiggit is on a mission to cool down the earth by making dry land in Africa green again. The goal sounds lofty, but the method is very simple. ‘We work with local communities to dig waterbunds, half-moon shaped pits that help the soil capture rainwater,” global communications manager Nadia de Waal explains. Much of the land is often so dry that it cannot absorb water, which leads to flooding when it rains and droughts outside of the rainy season, preventing any vegetation from growing.
‘Vegetation is key for livelihoods, but also as a natural form of air conditioning,’ Nadia says. ‘Global warming is moving in fast, leading to even more water and food scarcity, poverty, loss of biodiversity, natural disasters and climate refugees. The good news is that people and their actions – a major cause of global warming – can also be part of the movement to turn it back around.’
Proof from outer space Justdiggit’s approach is a nature-based solution, rooted in ancient practices. At the same time, the organization employs modern techniques and works with partners who contribute to the mission with their own expertise. One example is their partnership with Planet Labs PBC, which provides scientific proof for Justdiggit’s progress over time through satellite images and quantifiable metrics. Nadia: ‘Now everyone can really see the impact with their own eyes, not just on the ground but even from outer space!’
As the organization and the complexity of their operations, partnerships and compliance requirements grew over the years, so did their legal needs. ‘Working with other law firms in the past, we would often quickly reach their limit of let’s say
Bas van Schouwenburg
Nadia de Waal
20 hours that they were able to dedicate to pro bono work,’ Nadia says. ‘When we first met with Dentons, we found out they have an aspirational target of 40 hours of pro bono work. Not in total, but for every single lawyer.’
Solving legal headaches Bas van Schouwenburg is a partner at Dentons, specialized in (international) construction and real estate law. When he encountered Justdiggit, he saw an opportunity to help them deal with legal issues in his own field of expertise. ‘As the world’s largest law firm, we have an important role to play on the global stage. With environmental sustainability moving to the number one spot on the legislative and regulatory agenda, we are expanding our capabilities in this area through for example the Dentons Europe Environmental Law Academy. We also support excellent environmental NGOs with their legal needs. Our pro bono work helps clients to focus their resources on their core business instead of legal headaches like solving compliance problems.’
In the past two years alone, Dentons has provided advice to Justdiggit in the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, the US, Madagascar and Togo. ‘The work includes reassessing their articles of association in light of new legislation, helping to structure sponsorship agreements, advising on how to organize their operations to comply with reporting obligations, providing tax advice and advising on the intellectual property aspects of fundraising with famous artists on streaming services.’
Colleagues from the junior to the partner level are keen to contribute – not just from a purpose perspective, but also because the work is often legally and intellectually challenging. ‘What I also find inspiring is the astonishing simplicity of Justdiggit’s approach,’ Bas says. ‘You can apply their technique anywhere in the world. And all it takes, is a person with a shovel.’
‘Or a designer, an ad agency, or a lawyer,’ Nadia says. ‘It’s the decade of doing. Anyone can ‘dig in’ and join the movement.’
