Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEA CLE) is an international access to justice, legal education organization that focuses on ethically oriented legal capacity development and community empowerment.
BABSEA CLE has been working collaboratively with universities, law students, law faculties, lawyers, members of the legal community, and justice related organizational partners since 2003 to develop Clinical Legal Education (CLE) programs throughout Southeast Asia.
These programs and clinics assist communities, provide legal aid services and simultaneously help to build the next generation of social justice, pro-bono minded champions.
BABSEA CLE’s mission is to help establish, strengthen and support university-based and community-based Clinical Legal Education (CLE) programs.
Through Clinical Legal Education (CLE) programs, we intend to improve access to justice across Southeast Asia by educating the social justice, pro bono champions of tomorrow as they serve the legal needs of marginalized communities today.
BABSEA CLE works collaboratively with universities, law faculties and organizational partners to develop and strengthen university-based Clinical Legal Education and Community Empowerment Programs throughout Southeast Asia.
BABSEA CLE builds bridges by raising awareness about the issues faced by the communities we serve. We facilitate people-to-people exchanges, volunteer programs and legal trainings, with the aim of building a network of legal professionals and community leaders to address the root causes of access to justice issues.
BABSEA CLE:
Provides technical, administrative and organizational support, and helps establish and strengthen university-based and community-based CLE programs.
Conducts grassroots “training of trainers” workshops, using interactive Community Legal Education methodology.
Develops and assists in the development of interactive legal curricula and manuals for university law faculties, community-based legal advisors, paralegals, non-governmental and governmental organizations.
Coordinates and hosts an International Legal Studies Externship Clinic and promotes course credit for eligible participating students.
Organizes and facilitates CLE exposure visits, and CLE exchanges and trainings between students and professors.
Works to connect new university clinics with established university clinics, and to team clinics with pro bono departments of law firms and corporations.
Trains and assists in the development of the professional, ethical and legal skills of lawyers and professors of law.
Offers opportunities for pro bono departments of law firms and corporations to sponsor BABSEA CLE and CLE Foundation Legal Fellows and CLE programs.
BABSEA CLE works to:
BABSEA CLE is founded on the strong belief that no society can protect the rights of its people without a working Rule of Law system. All over the world, marginalized groups yearn for access to justice, but lack the power to obtain it. The result is a sense of injustice throughout societies in which a growing rift divides those with financial and legal means, and those without. We believe that Clinical Legal Education (CLE) is an effective way to help correct this injustice.
CLE provides pro bono services to the community while educating the next generation of social justice, pro bono champions.
CLE builds bridges between law schools, civil society, government, non-governmental organizations and communities that would otherwise not have access to legal assistance.
CLE fosters professional ethics and teaches students practical skills for tomorrow, while helping marginalized communities today.
See “About Clinical Legal Education (CLE)” for more information
BABSEA CLE currently helps to develop and support Clinical Legal Education (CLE) programs in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
BABSEA CLE also has working partnerships with universities in Australia, Canada, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Our administrative offices are located in Chiang Mai, Thailand and Hanoi, Viet Nam.
Learn more about BABSEA CLE in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia.
BABSEA CLE seeks to develop and strengthen positive partnerships and networks locally, regionally and internationally. We endeavor to link CLE programs to civil society organizations, law firms, corporations, governmental policy makers, municipalities and justice sector institutions. We welcome partnerships to support these CLE social justice champions.
Learn more about our partners and supporters
1) Our Trainings — BABSEA CLE provides training to lawyers and law professors about professional ethics and legal skills development;
2) Our International Externship Clinic[CC3] —participating students may be eligible for credit;
3) Our Exchange Program — we organize CLE student and professor exchanges and training.
1) A Clinic — BABSEA CLE works to create partnerships between university clinics and law firm or corporate pro-bono departments;
2) A Legal Fellow — law firms and corporations sponsor law graduates in Southeast Asia to become Legal Fellows.
CONTACT US for more information about opportunities for support and sponsorship.
Everything you need to know about BABSEA CLE, including:
1) What is the difference between BABSEA CLE, BABSEA and BAB? Are they part of the same organization?
2) What interaction do the country-specific Initiatives have with each other?
3) Where is BABSEA CLE registered? Is BABSEA CLE a not-for-profit organization?
4) Are the goals of all the CLE initiatives similar or are they different for each country?
5) Where are our offices based?
6) What is the International Legal Studies Externship Clinic?
7) How do I support or sponsor BABSEA CLE?
8) How can I contact BABSEA CLE?
International Legal Studies Externship : 2013
2nd SEA/Asia Pro Bono Conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam : 11 – 12 October 2013
3rd annual Access to Justice Fair : 16 November 2013 (more information coming soon)
5th Trio for Justice : 12 January 2014 Run or Walk for Justice and Make a Difference!
Support Social Justice
