Supporting the development of the next generation of environmental lawyers in Indonesia

ClientEarth is proud to support the University of Indonesia (UI) in its efforts to establish the Green Legal Clinics (GLC) Programme across universities in Indonesia.

To advance this initiative, UI and ClientEarth co-hosted a two-day hybrid workshop bringing together key representatives from select universities across Java, Borneo, Sumatra and Sulawesi along with researchers from ICEL and representatives from the Philippines green legal clinic network. 

Day one featured a series of insightful lectures delivered by Professor Andri Gunawan, covering key aspects of environmental law in Indonesia. These sessions aimed to strengthen participants’ knowledge and awareness of pressing environmental challenges and the role of law in addressing them.

The second day began with a session led by representatives from our partner organisations in the Philippines: Rodcenmarie A. Escamilla (Manila Observatory) and John Menguito and Nina Estenzo (Philippine Earth Justice Centre) who shared their reflections, achievements and challenges faced in implementing this flagship programme in the Philippines over the last 4 years. The session fostered co-learning and cross-border knowledge exchange.

Dr. Wiwiek Awiati then guided participants through four co-design stages: Diagnosing, Dreaming, Developing, and Defining. Using participatory approaches, attendees collaboratively shaped a shared vision for the Green Legal Clinics programme to be launched in Indonesia next year. 

Each stage of our "change by design" session addressed a key question:

• Diagnosing: What gaps exist in environmental legal education and support systems that GLCs can address?
• Dreaming: What does a successful GLC programme and network in Indonesia look like?
• Developing: What concrete actions and collaborations will make this vision a reality?
• Defining: What are the priority objectives, milestones, and indicators for the programme’s initial phase?

Together, these discussions mark an important step towards empowering future environmental lawyers and building stronger, more just environmental governance in Indonesia. The insights from this workshop will inform the design and delivery of the Green Legal Clinics Programme.