The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) is a non-profit-making law centre. Its aims are to encourage belief in the value of law as an instrument of justice and to give practical effect to this goal by providing legal and educational services in the public interest. It is controlled and funded by the Legal Resources Trust (LRT) which is a South African charitable and educational trust registered under the Fundraising Act. It is supported by development agencies, corporations, charitable foundations and concerned individuals. The trustees include judges, senior advocates and attorneys. For the fiscal year April 1990 to March 1991 the trustees of the LRT approved a budget of R8.5 million for the work of the LRC's offices.

The LRC was established after nation-wide consultations on the desirability of a legal resources centre produced positive feedback from a wide range of constituencies, and it became operational at the beginning of 1979. It seeks to fulfil the following purposes:

(a) To provide legal representation for litigants in any court of law, tribunal or body before whom a party may be represented by counsel or attorney.

(b) To conduct a programme in legal education and conduct seminars of educational value.

(c) To engage in research in legal areas including all matters relevant to the effective administration of justice.

(d) To publish the results of any research undertaken by it, and any material relevant to its objects.