Jacob van Garderen is a public interest lawyer with over 25 years’ experience advancing access to justice, the rule of law, and human rights in Southern Africa. He is the Director of The Public Interest Practice, an independent consultancy supporting civil society, public institutions, and international organisations through strategic litigation, legal and policy drafting, governance reform, research, and organisational development.

Jacob is recognised for his expertise in refugee and migration law, statelessness, land and housing rights, and the protection of human rights defenders. He previously served for a decade as National Director of Lawyers for Human Rights, where he led national programmes and precedent-setting litigation across a range of constitutional and human rights fields. He has conducted research for The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), civil society organisations on a wide range of human rights issues, and regularly provides expert legal opinions to immigration courts in the UK and Canada. Jacob is an admitted Advocate of the High Court of South Africa.