We’re excited to announce that Barbora Bukovská has joined the Legal Education Foundation board as a Trustee.

Barbora is a Czech human rights attorney and activist. Since 2009, she has been a Senior Director for Law and Policy at ARTICLE 19, an international free speech organisation. Previously, she worked for human rights NGOs in the Czech Republic and Slovakia on a range of human rights issues, including protection from discrimination, access to justice, deprivation of liberty, reproductive rights, access to citizenship and community development. In 2006 – 2008, she was the Legal Director of Validity, an international organization working on the rights of disabled people in Europe and Central Asia.

Barbora says: “Throughout my legal career, I have always been in interested in using the law to empower people to stand up for their rights and create lasting change. I find this to be one of the core objectives of the LEF. At a time when the attacks on human rights and democracy increase exponentially, I am looking forward to helping the Foundation deliver its important mission.

“I am very impressed by the breadth and variety of organisations and causes that the LEF supports and amplifies. From migrants’ rights, transparency and children’s rights to legal aid or access to legal information, the Foundation enables organisations to respond to the needs and visions of communities to create lasting change.

“The Justice First Fellowship particularly resonates with me. As someone who was a recipient of a public interest fellowship in a grassroots organisation early in my legal career, I think it is important to support lawyers who seek to build power in the communities they serve, share knowledge and experiences with them, and jointly work to address structural problems in society.”

LEF’s Chief Executive Matthew Smerdon says: “We are delighted that Barbora is joining the board of the Foundation. We are looking forward to her bringing her passion for our work, and her expertise in using law to support the work of activists. Her experience in international, regional and domestic legal systems will help us greatly in our work to protect and promote human rights.”