This paper approaches the Bank ' s mission of fighting poverty for lasting results with effective and equitable legal systems. A comprehensive legal and judicial reform can make an important contribution to the overall development process. Equitable laws and effective judicial systems form the foundation for promoting sustainable economic development and poverty alleviation. Bank-financed legal and judicial reform activities rest on three pillars: (1) law reform; (2) institution and capacity building; and (3) knowledge creation, sharing and implementation. The judiciary must have independent judges with the utmost professional integrity; law schools need to educate the country ' s lawyers, making them better professionals; legal services must reach the poor and the vulnerable.
