On 14th May 2025, the ILBF celebrated its 20th anniversary, hosted by Clifford Chance, in the presence of the Rt. Hon. the Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, the Rt. Hon. the Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd and the Rt. Hon. the Lord Carnwath of Notting Hill CVO. We were joined by the many partners, funders, volunteers and supporters who have helped the ILBF to make a real impact on legal education, judicial training and access to justice over the last 20 years.
Since 2005, we have shipped nearly 100,000 books to over 295 organisations in 62 countries. The impact of our work is felt in judiciaries, law schools, universities, parliaments, ministries of justice, diplomatic academies and NGOs. The ILBF is now firmly part of the legal ecosystem where legal information is the mycorrhizal network that links and supports law students, lawyers, and judges through unseen pathways that produce visible results. In the words of Paul Lowenstein KC, chairman of the Board of Trustees, ‘the ILBF has really come of age’.
The four finalists in the law undergraduate essay competition 2025 joined the evening’s celebrations, along with our shipping coordinator alumni from the University of Surrey. We were also delighted to welcome visitors from Nigeria and Sierra Leone who were participating in a week of law library and information technology observation and training (more about the visit coming soon). The past, the present and the future; all were there!
Paul Lowenstein KC and Lord Thomas opened the evening, thanking our many partners and supporters, Baroness Carr announced the winner of the 2025 essay competition, and Katrina Crossley, the CEO of ILBF, introduced a short film from recipients showing the impact of the ILBF’s work on just five of the hundreds of organisations who have received books in Peru, Nigeria, Ukraine, Uganda and Rwanda.
You can watch the events of the evening here and the ILBF’s 20th anniversary film here.
The work of the ILBF relies on the generosity of donors, both individual and corporate. The demand for books is as great as ever – please help us to continue to make a difference to the strength of the rule of law across the world! Please get in touch if you would like to discuss funding and partnership options at internationallawbookfacility@googlemail.com.
If you would like to make a donation, please go to our donate page here.
Here’s to the next 20 years and the development of the work of the ILBF as it continues to make a significant impact across the world.
