The project “Private Law Firms as Transnational Advocates (PROBONO)” will investigate how big law firms impact transnational human rights advocacy through their pro bono work.
The grant provides Dr. Reiners with the necessary means to study how big law pro bono is affecting human rights advocacy:
– With their substantial resources and networks, these firms can navigate challenging political environments and gain great influence over law- and policymaking. Our project studies how these activities relate to existing ways of doing human rights advocacy, in particular in the so-called Global South. The project reflects my research background in international relations and international law, but allows me to move towards new fields, like political economy.
Challenging times for human rights advocates
In times of rising populism and authoritarianism, even in democratic societies, along with a global crackdown on civil society and defenders of human and environmental rights, human rights advocacy faces serious challenges. In addition, there is a growing pressure for marketization on advocates of human rights and global justice. Against this backdrop, Dr. Reiners believes that the future of human rights advocacy will depend on actors with access to restrictive contexts and the resources to navigate legal and political challenges.
She also states that despite the significant expansion of pro bono activities, there is limited systematic knowledge about how these firms operate and the implications for traditional advocates. Dr. Reiners' PROBONO project aims to address this gap, hypothesizing that big law firms may be crowding out NGOs and local organizations from their traditional advocacy space.
Great Opportunity for Young Researchers
– The ERC Starting Grant provides young researchers with an excellent opportunity to advance their academic careers. It is gratifying that Nina Reiners has received approval for her application on an exciting project that I look forward to following in the coming years, says Dean Ragnhild Hennum.
Great Support from Colleagues
Dr. Reiners developed the proposal for the ERC Starting Grant shortly after joining the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights at the Faculty of Law in 2023, where she is currently Head of Department and leader of the research group Global Challenges to Human Rights:
– I had great support for the application from many colleagues. My project will benefit from the expertise we have here in Oslo at the Law Faculty and the Centre. I cannot wait to start working on this project!
The project will receive a funding of 1,5 million Euros for a five year period and Dr. Reiners will hire a multidisciplinary research team.