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This project explores how and to what extent human rights lawyers contribute to the development of the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Recognized as the most effective human rights regime in the world, the ECtHR has emerged as a prominent judicial forum for lawyers who noticed the potential of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to break new legal ground within national systems. However, as a strategic response to state discontent, the ECtHR has increasingly adopted a self-restrained approach. Moreover, most of the reform process have resulted in the risk of jeopardising the very essence of the right of individual petition. In the light of the heightened threshold to access to ECtHR, lawyers hold a greater power than before. Social movement actors, lawyers and expert NGOs can form ‘support structures’ for individual litigants and equip them with the necessary financial means and expert knowledge. Nevertheless, not all individuals have equal access to support structures that help them reach international courts. Human rights lawyers may thus play a crucial role in shaping the ECtHR's function in protecting and promoting human rights in Europe, particularly amidst declining rule of law and rising populism.