October 2026 Justice First Fellowship learning exchange

The Justice First Fellowship (JFF) has now supported over 180 fellows, creating a growing movement of lawyers committed to using law as a tool for social justice. The learning exchange is an important part of JFF’s wider work giving fellows space to step back from day-to-day practice, develop as strategic lawyers and build the relationships, shared learning and collaborative networks that sustain both their work and the wider social justice field. 

This year’s exchange took fellows and partners to Dublin and Belfast for a week to explore how law, organising and collaboration can drive social transformation. Across visits to human rights institutions, community law centres, campaigners and civil society organisations, we saw both the scale of current challenges and the imagination, courage and determination being brought to them. 

Our Dublin visit placed Ireland’s recent social and constitutional change in its wider context. Law has advanced women’s rights, equal marriage and children’s rights – supported by progressive democratic mechanisms, including Citizens’ Assemblies and referenda. 

Campaign examples showed how legal expertise, grassroots organising, disciplined messaging and personal stories helped secure constitutional change and bring the public with it. International standards, sustained advocacy and government engagement have further embedded children’s rights into law, policy and institutions. 

Ireland’s connection to the UN, the European Union, the European Convention on Human Rights and other international frameworks has been vital to this progress. And despite descriptions of a troubling climate where human rights face increasing attacks, local leadership, trusted civic networks and values-based narratives are giving communities confidence to counter fear and create practical alternatives to division. 

In Belfast, speakers demonstrated the personal bravery of communities and workers confronting racist and far-right violence, and the power of combining legal advocacy with long-term organising. 

The Justice First Fellowship aims to explore what successful, social justice focused lawyering looks like. It builds a network of movement-driven leaders and communities who use the law to achieve social justice. 

Below our Chief Executive Matthew shares key insights from the learning exchange on what achieving social justice looks like in practice. 

“A recurring lesson throughout the learning exchange was that successful lawyers must also be strategic lawyers who can: 

• Move between individual casework, litigation, communications, policy and community organising. 
• Spot patterns in frontline practice; and choose the jurisdiction, argument and moment most likely to achieve change. 

This came alive in alumnus Justice First Fellowship Owen McCloskey’s session on the litigation opportunities created by devolution. Advice to fellows across the week was practical and consistent: 

• Build networks before they are needed; volunteer, join boards and become part of the ecosystem around an issue. 
• Stay connected to organisations working on similar cases; and invest in collaboration. 

As Director of Community Foundation Ireland Moninne Griffiths put it: 

JFF Manager Deborah and JFF Officer Vanessa hold the relationships with Justice First Fellows. They provide advice, guidance and support throughout their fellowships and are key to ensuring the successful delivery of the Justice First Fellowship programme. As organisers for the learning exchange, they reflect below on the value of community and collaboration and how these are the driving force behind systemic change. 

“Across the week the importance of ​“the big we” was mentioned by most organisations and leaders. We repeatedly heard that lasting social change depends on bringing people together around shared values, a shared history and a sense of collective belonging. This was particularly evident in discussions about responding to attacks on migrants, LGBTQ+ communities and the growing divisions emerging across Irish society. Speakers challenged us to think about how we can reclaim narratives by offering something hopeful, truthful and rooted in people’s real lived experiences. 

However, we also heard that narrative change cannot happen solely online or just within our own sectors. Building a broader ​“big we” requires: 

• Intentional outreach. 
• Investing in relationships with neighbours, local leaders and communities beyond the usual networks. 

Whether through schools, community spaces, faith groups or WhatsApp group chats, the challenge is to meet people where they are and create opportunities for connection and trust. That is how rights are won and sustained over time and also defended when they come under challenge. 

These conversations reinforced what the Justice First Fellowship seeks to nurture in both fellows and host organisations: lawyers who see themselves not only as legal practitioners but as part of a wider ecosystem for social change. 

The fellowship creates space for lawyers to build solidarity across organisations, develop long-term relationships and learn how law can be used to achieve systemic change.” 

Throughout the week, fellows spoke with authority about their work, and about the challenges of balancing demanding casework with strategic use of public law and being rooted in their communities. 

Just as striking were the friendships and lasting professional connections within the fellowship – especially the close Northern Ireland network. We left inspired, and with an exciting glimpse of the sector’s future: strategic, collaborative, courageous, connected and fun!

Thank you to the following organisations and speakers who hosted our visits across the week: 

• Martin O’Brien, Sarah McWilliams, Padraic Quirk and Avila Kilmurray, Social Change Initiative
• Liam Herrick, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission 
• Daniel Holder, Committee on the Administration of Justice 
• Moninne Griffiths, Community Foundation Ireland 
• Owen McCloskey, Law Centre Northern Ireland 
• Teresa Buczkowska and Catherine Cosgrove, Immigrant Council of Ireland
• Paul Dornan, Mercy Law Resource Centre and Mary Heavey, Community Law Mediation