WIEGO is piloting a virtual learning programme that brings together lawyers from around the world to share experiences, challenge assumptions and explore new approaches for strengthening legal support for worker organizations in the informal economy.
Held in partnership with the Bernstein Institute for Human Rights at NYU School of Law and the Movement Law Lab, the nine-month programme from January to September 2027, will convene 20 to 30 lawyers from different regions and legal traditions.
Through virtual sessions and an in-person convening, participants will build the knowledge, skills and mindsets needed to work more effectively alongside organizations of workers in the informal economy.
The programme will help participants strengthen their understanding of the political economy of informal work and the role of the law in this, critically assess legal frameworks and strategies that can advance workers’ rights, and expose participants to innovative models of legal assistance and advocacy.
It will also build a community of lawyers across regions who are grappling with similar questions, and offer the opportunity to collaborate on legal advocacy strategies.
What does effective movement lawyering look like with workers in informal employment?
Pamhidzai Bamu, WIEGO’s Labour Law Specialist, said workers in the informal economy are increasingly using the law to advance their struggles, but they cannot do it alone.
“This is particularly the case when rising authoritarianism and shrinking civic space interfere with livelihoods; repress organizing; and threaten the safety and security of workers.”
Bamu said legal problems facing workers in the informal economy rarely fit into a neat case, as threats to livelihoods and organizing are often multifaceted.
“This kind of lawyering demands more than legal expertise. Lawyers need to understand these realities, navigate fragmented legal frameworks, be willing to listen, learn and build meaningful relationships, and develop strategies that support workers’ own advocacy,” she says.
“Yet few opportunities exist to explore different ways of working—and to move beyond short-term, case-based representation towards longer-term partnerships with worker organizations.”
Who are we looking for?
Lawyers and other legal practitioners who are part of an NGO, union, public interest firm, law clinic, research centre or network are invited to apply. You may be a good fit for the cohort if you:
- Are committed to supporting worker organizations in the informal economy, whether through legal assistance, advocacy, campaigning, organizing or other forms of movement support.
- Are curious and open to experimentation—willing to question familiar ways of working, learn from others and explore new approaches to movement lawyering.
- Bring a spirit of collaboration and reflection and are willing to share your own experiences, challenges and lessons with the cohort.
- Can take the learning back into your own practice, organization or network and help spread new ideas and approaches.
- Can commit the time—approximately one 2.5-hour session each month, plus time to prepare, reflect and apply the learning between sessions.
- Are fluent in English or Spanish.
Logistical information and timelines
Participants will hear whether they have been included in the cohort by mid-November 2026.
In early December 2026, WIEGO will host a welcome session to give participants a chance to come together, meet the cohort, get oriented and begin the journey.
The nine-month learning programme will run from January to September 2027, and include an in-person convening, with timing to be confirmed.
There is no fee for participation. Where participants are able to cover their own travel, accommodation, and other expenses for the in-person convening, we ask that they do so. This allows us to focus our support on participants who need it and helps us bring as many people together in person as possible.
How to apply
Please fill out this application form by October 31, 2026. The questions ask you to reflect on what interests you about the programme, whether you can commit to participating actively, and whether there is any additional support you need.
Reach out to pamhidzai.bamu@wiego.org if you have any questions.
About our partners
The Bernstein Institute is the only U.S. legal academic center dedicated to advancing research, education, and advocacy on the redistribution of legal power — with communities in the lead in defining the justice they seek.
Movement Law Lab has deep expertise in helping lawyers develop the skills to work effectively with social movements and in bringing them together locally, nationally, and transnationally to exchange knowledge, surface lessons, and work together.