Despite Russia's strong economic growth, over 14 percent of its population, more than 20 million people, still live in poverty. In 2008, the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) provided a grant of US.98 million to help make the justice system in Russia more accessible and accountable to the poorest and most vulnerable groups in two regions of the country, Leningrad Oblast and Perm Krai. The grant was strongly supported by the Embassy of Japan and Russian regional authorities, who were involved from conceptualization to completion. The grant piloted two models of legal aid in these two areas, and it launched a collaborative initiative that enabled local executive and judicial branch officials and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to work together to achieve common goals. This JSDF grant has yielded some promising results. However, the sustainability of the legal aid networks established under the grant depends on ongoing support from the local authorities in each region.