On September 24, 2015, Co-Founder of ICAAD, Hansdeep Singh, spoke on a panel to discuss Public Service Lawyering at Cardozo Law School. The focus of Hansdeep’s presentation was threefold: 1) benefits/ challenges of working in the nonprofit sector; 2) what it takes to establish an international NGO; and 3) identifying ways to succeed when you have committed your life to public service.
The presentation identified two major challenges of starting/ running your own nonprofit international NGO: 1) funding; and 2) being limited by one’s own imagination. Hansdeep then shared his experience in overcoming these hurdles. First, he discussed the value of leveraging public-private partnerships, and second, he discussed surrounding yourself, both within and outside the organization, with people from multiple disciplines.
The success and sustainability of ICAAD is a result of close to $2.5 million in pro bono resources being harnessed through law firm and technology companies, since its inception over 3 years ago. Furthermore, ICAAD’s network of civil society, design, law firm, social and data scientists, university, and technology partners continues to fuel innovation that is necessary to address complex social problems like access to justice for women, girls, and marginalized communities.
Hansdeep left the students with a final piece of advice by mentioning that those who pursue a career of public service should commit themselves not to upholding the status quo, rather, that they should constantly innovate, iterate, and disrupt the existing systems they work within to strengthen the communities they serve.
