The International Lawyers Project (ILP) is looking for City lawyers who have been made redundant to help develop overseas projects.

The ILP, which is based at Clifford Chance’s Canary Wharf headquarters and is funded by sponsors including all the magic circle firms, aims to encourage lawyers to get involved in the equivalent of voluntary service overseas-type assignments.

Programme ;director Sarah Poland said: “Much of the work we want to develop will involve experts in their fields from major companies as well as the legal profession.

“No one’s immune from the present downturn and it seems a good opportunity to harness some of this talent and drive through some valuable pro bono work until the market picks up and the City of London reclaims its workforce.”

Over the past six months the ILP has sent 28 lawyers from firms including DLA Piper, Herbert Smith and SJ Berwin to Tanzania, where they have been involved in developing the country’s legal system.

Part of the project has seen the lawyers help ­develop the curriculum at the recently formed law school in Dar es Salaam.

A previous project saw a group of City lawyers spend a week with 45 Tanzanian lawyers to teach them about alternative dispute ­resolution and advocacy. As part of the ­programme, the lawyers set up a mock ­courtroom at the offices of the British Council.