As lawyers increasingly embrace legal technology, a South African-developed access to justice innovation platform is gaining global attention.
The digital Case Management (DCM) platform, built by the Empire Partner Foundation (EPF) in collaboration with ProBono.Org, was recently showcased to global acclaim at the 2025 PILnet Global Forum in Rome, Italy.
Designed to put efficiency, transparency, and data-driven advocacy at the centre of public interest law, the DCM platform has transformed how legal services are delivered to underserved communities across South Africa, ProBono.Org said.
The PILnet Global Forum brings together around 400 legal professionals, in-house counsel, bar associations, civil society actors, and academics to collaborate on how to use the law and pro bono services to support civil society and advance access to justice
ProBono stated that the DCM enables clients to submit cases and track progress online, while providing attorneys with a single platform for managing cases, documentation, scheduling, and reporting.
The result is a faster, more coordinated legal support to the access to justice ecosystem, according to ProBono.Org.
It goes on to say since adopting the DCM system, ProBono.Org has more than doubled its case management system, growing from 5,037 cases to 12,176 cases within a 12 month period.
“This expanded access to justice has also generated an intrinsic financial value of more than R180 million in pro bono legal services, representing 19,778 pro bono hours contributed by the organised legal profession,” said the organisation in a statement.
According to both organisations, this leap is attributed directly to the system’s ability to streamline workflows, reduce duplication, eliminate manual errors, and improve visibility and transparency across teams and in all 3 regions where ProBono.Org offices are located.
At the Forum, South Africa was represented by: Advocate Mohamed Shafie Ameermia, national director of ProBono.Org, Daphne Makombe, legal consultant, ProBono.Org, Ismail Sadek, chairperson of the Empire Partner Foundation.
The South African delegation participated in two influential sessions: Advancing people-centered Justice through public interest law and Pro Bono developments in Africa: challenges, impact, and innovation
Speaking in Rome, Advocate Ameermia emphasised the transformative power of digital innovation in strengthening the access to justice ecosystems.
“Technology is no longer optional in public interest law, it is essential. The Digital Case Platform has shown us that when we digitise and reframe the frontline of access to justice, we expand access, reduce waiting times, and empower both lawyers and the communities they serve,” said Advocate Ameermia.
He added that DCM brings structure where there was fragmentation, it brings visibility where there was opacity, and it brings dignity to individuals who rely on legal support but often fall through the cracks because of the prohibitively, expensive nature of legal services.
“Our success with DCM proves that African solutions, built with local insight and global standards, can meaningfully reshape the access to justice ecosystems locally and globally.”
Sadek reinforced this message: “Together we are proving that collaboration and innovation can make justice accessible for all, turning possibility into measurable progress and restoring dignity to the poor, marginalised and vulnerable communities.”
In a historic milestone, ProBono.Org and EPF were unanimously voted to host the 2026 PILnet Global Forum in Cape Town, marking the first time the global conference will take place in Africa, Cape Town South Africa.
Advocate Ameermia commented: “Cape Town will become a global meeting place for legal innovators and social justice leaders committed to building legal ecosystems that are transparent, inclusive, and rooted in human rights.”
He continued: “We call on partners across Africa and the world to collaborate with us in shaping the 2026 Global PILnet Forum.
“Together, we can build cross-border pro bono networks, strengthen regional justice ecosystems, and establish sustainable digital infrastructure for the provision of in legal services in a dignified manner.
“When justice is built collaboratively, its impact stretches further than any one institution can imagine.”
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