Strategic litigation
Rights cases selected for precedent, systemic remedy or public accountability.
Public interest practice / Eastern CapeFile 058
Rights need a record.
Put power
on the docket.
Strategic litigation, community advice and plain-language legal education for matters where one outcome can improve the rules for many.
218
active advice files
31
court matters
14
community partners
9
open guides
About / mandate
Law as public infrastructure.
Open Docket is a fictional non-profit legal practice built around a simple idea: rights only become durable when people can understand, invoke and test them.
We combine strategic cases with advice-office partnerships, evidence gathering and public legal guides. A court order matters; a usable pathway after judgment matters more.
Our lawyers publish scope, status and learning notes on impact matters so communities can see how a case moves and what remains unresolved.
Practice / offerings
Four desks. One record.
Community advice
Weekly clinics with partner advice offices for triage, letters and referral.
Evidence & research
Fact records, public-information requests and expert evidence for complex matters.
Legal education
Open guides, workshops and case explainers written for non-lawyers.
Method / case path
No mystery between intake and remedy.
- § 1
Triage
Urgency, jurisdiction and immediate safety.
- § 2
Frame
Rights question, evidence gap and desired remedy.
- § 3
Build
Affidavits, records, experts and partner input.
- § 4
Act
Negotiation, filing, hearing or public process.
- § 5
Follow
Implementation checks and a public learning note.
Selected work / matters
Read the file, not the slogan.
OD-24-117
Housing
Riverside Tenants v. Metro
Emergency interdict prevented 74 households from being displaced while a lawful relocation plan was negotiated.
Judgment secured
Updated 12 AUG 2026
OD-24-083
Education
Mahlangu School Access
A district-level settlement converted unsafe temporary classrooms into a funded capital works programme.
Remedy monitored
Updated 13 AUG 2026
OD-23-204
Basic services
West Ward Water Record
A public-records case opened procurement and maintenance evidence to five affected neighbourhood associations.
Record disclosed
Updated 14 AUG 2026
92%
of urgent matters triaged inside one working day
67%
of impact matters resolved without a full trial
11
implementation reviews still open after judgment
Counsel / people
Names on the record.
Every matter has a lead lawyer and a named implementation contact.
Thandi Ndlovu
Executive attorney
Housing · administrative justice
Ethan Jacobs
Litigation lead
Education · equality
Lerato Khumalo
Community law lead
Advice offices · public education
Mina Petersen
Evidence counsel
Access to information · research
Reading room / insights
Law in plain sight.
Guide 09
What an eviction notice must contain
A two-page checklist for tenants, occupiers and advice offices.
Case note 18
After judgment: monitoring a structural order
Why a win can still fail during implementation.
Briefing 04
Using access-to-information law locally
A practical route from request to internal appeal.
FAQ / objections
Before you submit.
Who can ask for help?
Individuals, community groups and non-profit organisations can submit an intake. We prioritise matters with a clear rights issue and potential impact beyond one private dispute.
Do you charge legal fees?
Qualifying public-interest matters are handled without professional fees. We explain any filing, expert or administrative costs before work begins.
Does an intake create an attorney-client relationship?
No. A relationship begins only after conflicts checks, scope review and a written engagement letter.
Can you take urgent matters?
Yes. The intake form flags time-sensitive evictions, detention, school exclusion and service interruption for same-day triage during office hours.
Contact / conversion
Put the facts on record.
Tell us what happened, what is urgent, who is affected and what documents you already have. Intake review is confidential.
intake@example.org
Fictional concept site · no legal advice is provided by this design.