We provide grants to cover legal expenses related to AI safety whistleblowing, prioritizing cases about the safety of frontier AI systems, along with pro bono legal advice and help finding other support.
Contact email: [email protected]
The LASST AI Safety Whistleblower Legal Defense Fund supports individuals who expose dangerous, harmful, illegal or unethical practices in the design, development, and deployment of artificial intelligence systems. Through pro bono legal advice and financial assistance for legal expenses, the Fund removes barriers that might otherwise deter whistleblowers focused on ensuring AI systems and their developers serve the public interest and promote human flourishing.
The Fund will consider involvement in any case involving AI but prioritizes cases involving information relevant to the safety or alignment of frontier AI systems. As AI capabilities advance, individuals with inside knowledge of how these systems are developed at AI companies and then deployed across the public and private sectors serve as essential guardians of both immediate public welfare and the future of humanity. The Fund is designed to support good faith whistleblowing in the public interest by providing financial support to defray whistleblowing-related legal expenses and legal advice and guidance to help potential whistleblowers navigate the system.
The Fund is a program of Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology, furthering its mission to use legal advocacy to make advances in science and technology safer for people and the planet.
The Fund provides grants to cover attorney fees, court costs, and other legal expenses associated with:
The Fund provides legal advice through its staff attorneys, including advice about the whistleblowing process and advice about potential impact litigation. The Fund can also assist clients with seeking legal representation and whistleblower support services, either through counsel to be paid by the Fund or by coordinating with other legal organizations and advocacy groups to seek pro bono or reduced-fee representation and support.
The Fund assists both whistleblowers who expose concerns related to AI and also their supporters, with particular priority given to disclosures involving safety concerns associated with frontier systems. Areas of coverage include:
The Fund can assist even when concerning practices may not clearly violate existing laws, recognizing that current regulations may not adequately address emerging AI risks.
To be eligible for assistance, Whistleblowers must have legally acquired access to or direct personal knowledge of nonpublic information bearing on issues within the Fund’s Scope of Coverage and must be acting in good faith with the primary purpose of protecting the public interest, rather than for personal gain. A Whistleblower must either have (1) disclosed or be seriously considering disclosing such information or (2) be seriously considering pursuing impact litigation designed to advance AI safety and accountability on the basis of such information.
The Fund may provide limited assistance to third parties who face legal challenges due to their support of a Whistleblower. This may include, for example, family members facing legal threats, colleagues who corroborate disclosures, journalists covering whistleblower revelations, or attorneys who provided initial consultation to whistleblowers. Supporters must demonstrate that their legal needs directly arise from their connection to the whistleblowing activity. Supporters’ interests must be aligned with the interests of the supported Whistleblower. In the event a conflict of interest arises between the Whistleblower and a Supporter, the Fund will cease support of the Supporter.
The Fund reserves the right to decline assistance to any applicant, even those who meet the eligibility criteria described above, based on factors including but not limited to resource limitations, strategic considerations, case complexity, and alignment with the Fund’s mission and priorities. Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee that assistance will be provided.
The Fund provides grants to defray certain covered expenses (defined below) for Whistleblowers and Whistleblower Supporters.
The Fund’s staff attorneys are responsible for evaluating and awarding grants. Certain grants may also require approval by LASST’s Board of Directors before being awarded.
Support for Whistleblowers will be assessed based on the reasonableness of the expenses being covered and the impact of the grant on the Fund’s mission. While financial need may be considered among other factors when evaluating grants to cover expenses for Whistleblowers, no showing of need is required. The purpose of the Fund is to reduce barriers to good faith AI safety whistleblowing, even by those who might otherwise be able to afford to cover their own legal expenses.
Support for Whistleblower Supporters will be assessed by evaluating need in addition to reasonableness and impact on the Fund’s and LASST’s missions.
The information applicants must submit will depend on the circumstances, but may include:
Case Information, such as a detailed description of the information that has been or will be disclosed as part of the whistleblowing activity, the expected impact of the whistleblowing activity and how it aligns with the Fund’s mission, and information about any anticipated retaliation or related legal action(s).
Budget Information, such as estimated total legal costs and timeline, itemized breakdown of expected expenses (attorney fees, court costs, expert witnesses, etc.), fee arrangements with counsel (hourly rates, retainer requirements, contingency terms), and documentation of costs already incurred.
Legal Representation Details, including the identity and qualifications of proposed counsel, law firm, or organization providing representation, scope of representation agreement, any co-counsel or consulting attorney arrangements, and conflicts of interest disclosures (including any existing connections to LASST or the Fund).
Other Supporting Documentation, including any retainer agreements or engagement letters, court filings or legal documents (as appropriate), invoices or cost estimates from service providers, and communications regarding fee arrangements.
Evidence of Financial Need, where applicable (see Grant Evaluation Criteria section above).
All covered expenses must be reasonable under the circumstances.
Any grants provided prior to expenses being incurred will be provided on the following conditions:
The Fund may provide financial assistance through flexible disbursement arrangements tailored to each client’s circumstances:
Payments to Service Providers The fund may directly pay service providers for covered fees and costs. When possible, the Fund prefers to pay legal service providers directly rather than disbursing funds to clients.
Client Reimbursement for Incurred Expenses When direct payment to a service provider is not an option, the Fund may reimburse clients for covered expenses already paid, upon submission of invoices, receipts, and documentation showing the expenses were directly related to the whistleblowing matter. Reimbursement requests should be submitted promptly after expenses are incurred.
Advance Payment to Counsel When a client has already secured legal representation, the Fund may pay attorneys directly in advance of services being rendered. This arrangement requires:
Advance Payment to Client Only when necessary will the Fund pay clients for covered expenses not yet incurred instead of directly paying the service provider. The client must use the payment to pay the service provider, and must promptly submit proof once they have done so.
Hybrid Arrangements The Fund may combine reimbursement and advance payment methods as circumstances require. For example, the Fund might reimburse a client for initial consultation fees already paid while simultaneously providing advance funding for ongoing representation.
Grant Conditions Apply to All Methods Regardless of disbursement method, all grants remain subject to the Fund’s standard conditions, including requirements for periodic reporting, return of unused funds, and restriction of use to approved expenses.
The Fund is staffed by licensed attorneys who are experienced litigators prepared to provide legal advice to Whistleblowers and, in more limited circumstances, Whistleblower Supporters. Legal advice to Whistleblower Supporters will be confined to issues arising from the relevant Whistleblower’s whistleblowing activity, including the disclosure itself and any consequences thereof. Legal advice to Whistleblowers may also include advice concerning potential impact litigation that could advance AI safety and accountability.
Fund attorneys assist clients with finding additional counsel when the circumstances call for it and can help clients access additional whistleblower support resources through partner organizations.
The Fund provides all legal advice and coordination services at no charge to recipients.
Attorney Fee Award Recovery If a court or administrative body orders an opposing party to pay attorney fees under applicable fee-shifting statutes or contractual provisions, and those fees are based on legal services funded by the Fund, the fee award must be used to reimburse the Fund’s expenditures on the case.
Windfall Provision If a client receives damages or a fee award exceeding their losses and the Fund’s expenditures, the Fund requests—but does not require—that the client consider donating a portion of such recovery to support AI safety research, policy development, or related public interest efforts.
Client Considerations All clients must acknowledge this fee awards and damages policy in writing before the Fund provides assistance. The Fund will provide a clear accounting of all expenditures subject to potential reimbursement.
All communications with the Fund are protected by attorney-client privilege to the fullest extent permitted by law. This protection begins with the initial outreach, regardless of whether a retention agreement is ultimately executed, and continues through any attorney-client relationship that is established.
Attorney-client privilege may be waived if potential clients disclose communications with the Fund to third parties not covered by the privilege. To preserve privilege, potential clients should not share details of communications with Fund attorneys without first consulting with us.
Internal Identity Requirements: To provide effective legal representation, the Fund must verify and maintain records of each client’s identity. We cannot represent anonymous individuals or provide legal advice without knowing who our client is. We can accept initial communications on an anonymous basis.
External Anonymity Protection: While we must know our clients’ identities internally, we are committed to protecting their anonymity from the outside world to the greatest extent possible, where desired by the client. We can use pseudonyms in court filings where permitted, limit public disclosure of identifying information, and take other measures to shield clients from public identification.
The Fund will not publicly disclose the identity of any client or potential client without explicit written consent, except:
The Fund may publish general statistics about its activities and impact in aggregate form. Case studies or success stories will only be shared with explicit written consent from the individuals involved. All identifying information will be removed from any public communications unless the Fund is specifically authorized to disclose the information.
Submitting an application or contacting the Fund does not automatically create an attorney-client relationship. Formal representation begins only when a written agreement is executed between the Fund and the potential client. However, communications made during the application and evaluation process are generally protected by attorney-client privilege to encourage full and candid disclosure during our assessment of potential representation.
Potential clients remain solely responsible for meeting all legal deadlines, including statutes of limitations for potential claims. Contacting the Fund does not pause or extend these deadlines. Potential clients with urgent deadlines should seek immediate legal counsel while their application is under review.
The Fund cannot and does not guarantee assistance to anyone. Limited resources require careful case selection based on the criteria outlined above. A decision not to provide assistance is not a judgment on the legal merits of a case.
The Fund cannot and does not guarantee the outcome of any legal matter or proceeding. Legal representation does not ensure a favorable result, and past successes do not predict future outcomes. Each case depends on its unique facts and circumstances, and litigation inherently involves uncertainty and risk.
LASST does public advocacy work in addition to the client-facing services it provides, like those provided through the Fund. LASST has a policy designed to separate its client-facing work from its public advocacy work and will not use any information from a client or a potential client in public advocacy work without the client’s express written consent.
When LASST provides referrals or recommendations to third-party attorneys, law firms, or legal or other support organizations, such referrals are provided solely to assist clients in locating additional support. LASST does not guarantee or assume any responsibility for the professional competence, conduct, performance, or results achieved by any third-party service providers to whom referrals are made. The decision to retain any third party service provider rests solely with the individual seeking representation, and LASST disclaims all liability for any damages, losses, or adverse outcomes that may arise from the conduct or representation provided by any referred third-party service provider. Individuals are encouraged to independently verify the credentials, experience, and suitability of any referred attorney before engaging their services.
The Fund does not provide tax advice regarding the treatment of grants, financial assistance, or other benefits provided to recipients. The tax consequences of receiving assistance from the Fund may vary depending on individual circumstances, the nature of the assistance provided, applicable tax laws, and other factors. Recipients are strongly advised to consult with their own qualified tax professionals regarding the potential federal, state, and local tax implications of any assistance received from the Fund. The Fund disclaims all responsibility for any tax consequences, penalties, or liabilities that may arise from a recipient’s treatment of Fund assistance for tax purposes.
Please contact us for an initial consultation before sharing detailed information.
Potential clients already represented by counsel should have their counsel contact the Fund rather than contacting the Fund directly. Counsel can contact the Fund at [email protected].
Potential clients not represented by counsel may contact the Fund via the Fund’s ProtonMail account at [email protected]. For enhanced privacy during your initial contact with us, consider creating a new ProtonMail account specifically for the purpose. Please note that while ProtonMail uses end-to-end encryption, ProtonMail may store at least some metadata in an unencrypted form on its servers. For more information on ProtonMail’s security, please visit their website.
All initial communications with the Fund are considered privileged consultations for the purpose of evaluating potential representation, regardless of whether a formal attorney-client relationship is ultimately established.
If you believe there is an imminent danger to public safety, contact appropriate emergency services first, then reach out to the Fund for legal guidance on next steps. Do not share potentially classified government information or any material that it may be illegal or a crime to possess or share.
Important Note: The Fund is a legal defense fund, not a leaks platform or anonymous tip service. We provide financial support for legal expenses and related legal advice to identified individuals who are whistleblowers, potential whistleblowers, or those who support them. We do not accept anonymous information dumps or unverified tips.