About us
At LEF, we are passionate about the potential of the law to help communities to create a more just and equal society.
We stand in solidarity with communities fighting injustice, recognising that they hold the solutions to the challenges they face.
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Our vision
A society where people work together for social justice.
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Our mission
We use our resources as an independent foundation to strengthen the power of communities to use and shape the law to achieve social justice.
Our values
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1
Trust. We trust and value the contribution of those with lived and learned experience, and we work to be trusted by being open and honest, and acting with integrity.
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2
Solidarity. We stand with those taking action to create lasting change. We commit our resources to building relationships over the long-term that centre wellbeing and diverse voices.
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3
Inclusion. We challenge systems and structures, including our own, that create and perpetuate oppression, discrimination and inequality.
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4
Courage. We are not afraid to take risks and challenge injustice.
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5
Reflection. We seek to learn from communities that are affected by the issues we tackle, and reflect and act on this knowledge as well as our own learning.
Our focus is on the power of the law as a tool for social justice
We want to build:
- Bridges between the law and communities facing injustice, to tackle the root causes of inequality.
- A society where rights are protected and expanded.
- A generation of creative and collaborative leaders and organisations working to achieve social justice.
How we work
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We give around £10 million a year to help communities across the UK fight for justice
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We encourage the next generation of social justice lawyers through the Justice First Fellowship
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We host Justice Together, a funder collaboration with a ten-year vision to transform access to justice in the UK immigration system.
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We provide development support for our grant partners and seek to influence and drive collaboration to achieve our goals.
Our history
LEF was established as the Legal Education Foundation in 2012, with the proceeds of the sale of The College of Law charity to a private equity firm.
Our original mission was to promote legal education and the study of law, so that people could use the law to protect and secure rights.
Over the years this purpose has grown into broader support for organisations which help communities across the UK to use the law as a tool for social justice, and so to reflect this move away from a narrow focus on legal education, in 2025 we became LEF.
Our funding opportunities
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Strengthening Justice fund
Support for organisations already using and shaping the law with communities
- Amount: £50,000 to £100,000 per year
- Duration: 3 to 5 years
- Deadline: 3 February 2026
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Emerging Justice fund
Support for ‘by and for’ organisations to explore adding the law to their campaigns
- Amount: Up to £50,000 (up to 12 months); or £50,000 to £75,000 per year (up to 3 years)
- Duration: Up to 12 months or up to 3 years