Wikimedia Foundation Legal department/Annual Plan 18-19

To protect the legal privilege and confidentiality that is important to a strong defense of Wikimedia values and legal positions, we will not publicly post detailed descriptions of particular goals or workflows.

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The Legal Department defends the Wikimedia Foundation’s position as a leader in the free knowledge ecosystem and advocates in court and in front of policy-making organizations on behalf of the movement’s values and mission. The department provides legal services, mitigates risks for the Foundation and, in some cases, supports defense for affiliated organizations and individuals faced with legal threats as a result of their work as Wikimedians (according to the Legal Fees Assistance Program and Defense of Contributors Policy). The department also works with the Wikimedia communities to advocate for public policy positions.

In fiscal year 2018-2019, the Legal Department will continue to provide the Foundation with timely, top-quality, and innovative legal advice. The Legal Department's programs include:

• Managing issues relating to litigation, copyrights and trademarks, employment, non-profit law compliance, and other matters associated with the Foundation;
• Protecting and improving the policy environment upon which Wikimedia initiatives depend, and empowering the Wikimedia communities to work together to further these goals;
• Negotiating and administering contracts on behalf of the Foundation with third parties, including grants and affiliate agreements with independent organizations that participate in the Wikimedia movement;
• Partnering with other departments within the Foundation to work on key programs, including initiatives relating to community health, privacy, security, and data management; and
• Supporting the Foundation Board of Trustees in matters relating to governance and the Foundation’s strategic direction.

In pursuit of transparency and openness about legal matters, when possible, we post updates on the Public Policy mailing list, Wikimedia blog, and biannual Transparency Report about our work.