Well-functioning legal aid is a goal of societies across the globe. This session launches a set of guidelines for the establishment and development of legal aid systems in both emerging and developed jurisdictions. They provide invaluable tools for policy-makers and those working with them, including lawyers, their professional bodies and members of the judiciary – all of whom have contributed to this milestone project. Legal aid has long been seen as a cost to governments, whereas the research points to it actually saving governments money downstream. We will be giving an update on a major research project we are undertaking together with the World Bank to identify how the economic benefits to government of effective legal aid can be evidenced. This will strengthen the ability of lawyers and others to lobby effectively for improved funding for legal aid on economic grounds. Speakers from international organisations concerned with the rule of law and access to justice, including the World Bank and the OECD, will be a part of the panel addressing these issues.