Bruce Lasky trains young lawyers in Asia to defend the poor and powerless

Lasky's organization has grown partly thanks to his infectious charisma, but also because it doesn't follow a one-size-fits-all model, says Lisa Radtke Bliss, a law professor at Georgia State University who spent her summer volunteer teaching at a university in Thailand affiliated with BABSEA CLE.

"They're not tied to one country or school," Ms. Bliss says. "They can tailor programming to meet needs on a local basis."

A few years ago, when funding was particularly tight, Lasky mortgaged his Florida home and put about $80,000 on his credit card to keep BABSEA CLE alive. Funding is still a "hodgepodge," he adds. The nonprofit raises its $400,000 to $500,000 annual budget partly by organizing half-marathon races.

But BABSEA CLE is growing, and Lasky continues to shuttle around the region lobbying law schools to adjust their curricula to emphasize social justice. The results are beginning to show, he says, as program graduates enter the workforce and put their values into practice. Some work for nonprofits, others in private law firms or local governments. One graduate works for Cambodia's department of corrections.

Lasky also has received invitations to help develop CLE programs in the Middle East. "We don't want to be limited by borders," he says. "Bridges is in our name, and we're all about bridging and facilitating."

• To learn more, visit http://babseacle.org.

Where help is needed: how you can help

UniversalGiving (www.universalgiving.org) helps people give to and volunteer for top-performing charitable organizations worldwide. Projects are vetted by UniversalGiving; 100 percent of each donation goes directly to the listed cause.

Here are three opportunities, selected by UniversalGiving, to donate or volunteer:

• Asia America Initiative (AAI) builds peace, social justice, and economic development in impoverished Asian countries plagued by terrorism, religious conflict, and severe poverty. Project: Adopt a school.

• Globe Aware promotes cultural awareness and sustainability through short-term volunteer programs around the world. Globe Aware’s projects and solutions seek to help others obtain a happy, healthy, and independent life. Project: Volunteer to make a difference in Cambodia.

• Cultural Canvas Thailand. The mission of Cultural Canvas Thailand is to generate awareness and volunteer support of the current social issues facing Chiang Mai, Thailand, through the promotion of equality, community interaction, and social change. Project: Volunteer with Burmese migrant learners.

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