HRLN is a network of lawyers and social activists dedicated to the use of the legal system to advance human rights, struggle against violations and insure equal access to justice for all. HRLN defines rights to include civil and political rights as well as economic, social, cultural and environmental rights. As a group of lawyers HRLN does not have the capacity to work directly with poor and deprived communities. The Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), which is a division of SLIC, collaborates with social movements, human rights organisations, and grass-roots development groups to enforce the rights of deprived people and communities. HRLN has 24 units operating in all the States of India.

HRLN’s major target group is issue based civil society organisations and social movements providing legal training, advice and support on human rights and on use of the law as a tool for social change and justice.

The other major target group is the judiciary, whose attitudes and approaches towards the poor and marginalised need to be radically changed. As HRLN is recognized by the judiciary as a responsible NGO consisting of professional lawyers dedicated to providing free legal aid to the poor, it has access to members of the judiciary at all levels from the lowest courts to the Supreme Court. Through the medium of judicial colloquiums (trainings) HRLN has already begun influencing the thinking of judges on critical issues. In addition police and government officials will also be trained on human rights to reorient their thinking and services to deprived people and communities.

The final beneficiaries are deprived communities and poor people. Priority of HRLN’s work is to strengthen the equal rights of Dalit (outcastes), adivasi (indigenous) and Muslim communities, as well as women, children, people with disabilities, people affected by HIV/AIDS, prisoners and refugees.