The International Legal Foundation
Nicolás Laino is an Argentinian lawyer who serves as a Public Defender at the Federal Public Defender's Office of Argentina, where he has held several positions after joining in 2009. Within the Office, he specializes in criminal defenses, litigation before the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights, and he is the Co-Chair of the Program for the Prevention of Torture and ill-treatment in Detention Facilities. He is also responsible for the institutional relations with international organizations regarding the promotion of UN standards on access to legal aid, which he has been advocating for in different global and regional forums since 2014. Nicolás holds a Magíster in Criminal Justice Systems from the University of Barcelona and his writings have been published in local Argentinian newspapers as well as in several edited volumes in his areas of expertise.
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The International Legal Foundation
Founded in 2001, the International Legal Foundation is the leading global advocate for the right to counsel for the poor. We are pioneering the establishment of public defender offices as countries rebuild and remake their criminal justice systems. Our team works in some of the world's most challenging places, where poor, vulnerable, and marginalized groups face discrimination and abuse. We achieve systemic change through litigation, advocacy, and policy reform. The ILF currently has programs in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Nepal, Tunisia, and the West Bank. Over the years, we have represented more than 60,000 people and trained and mentored hundreds of lawyers. We are building a culture of defense and creating a new generation of skilled defense lawyers through multi-year, intensive mentoring. We also conduct high-level advocacy, pushing countries, international institutions, and donors to prioritize legal aid as a fundamental human right. We were a drafter of the United Nations Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2012. We also organized the first-ever international conference on public defense, held in Johannesburg, South Africa in June 2014. Today, we are in the vanguard of global efforts to standardize public defense so quality legal services are measurable and accountable.