Salasky: Move will enable CrowdJustice to have more impact
CrowdJustice, the pioneering funding platform for legal fees, has been acquired by the country’s largest crowdfunding platform.
Crowdfunder director Phil Geraghty told Legal Futures that the aim was to “amplify” the work of CrowdJustice.
Founded in 2015, CrowdJustice has enabled over a million people to donate more than £35m to support legal matters that often would not have otherwise been funded; 14 cases backed by CrowdJustice have reached the Supreme Court.
Founder Julia Salasky said that what appealed about Crowdfunder was that it was more than just a general crowdfunding platform; rather it was “one of the UK’s most effective fundraising platforms for community action”.
She explained: “It is a truly socially driven platform, funded by its own community, with mission driven people at its helm, with real expertise in grassroots fundraising, campaigning and technology.
“Crowdfunder will enable CrowdJustice to have more impact, to have more resources, to open up access to justice even more.”
Mr Geraghty said Crowdfunder, which has been operating for around a decade, has raised £350m for causes around the UK, with a focus on community projects and campaigns.
“Crowdfunder exists to tackle society’s challenges by making ideas happen, and CrowdJustice aligns perfectly with that purpose,” he said.
“We are very impressed with what CrowdJustice has done to date. It’s a great opportunity to use some of our technology and know-how to amplify what they have done so far, take it to the next level and see if we can help even more people achieve what they want to.”
While Crowdfunder has hosted legal matters, its model means that the funds for legal fees go to the fundraiser. “What we love about CrowdJustice is that the funds flow directly to the law firm,” Mr Geraghty explained. “This will be a real benefit to campaigning organisations, which sometimes don’t want to receive the money [because they do not have a bank account, for example]. CrowdJustice solves that problem.”
The two brands will co-exist, with all legal campaigns now hosted by CrowdJusice.
Ms Salasky will continue building Legl, the legaltech business she set up in 2019 which supports law firm operations, business process automation and regulatory compliance. It now has 60 staff, having raised $7m of investment in 2021 and a further $18m last year.
She said it was the need to focus on Legl that meant “it was time for CrowdJustice to find a new home”.
A study last year found that more than £9m had been donated through CrowdJustice to back 413 judicial reviews.
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