Its current chairman since 2003 is human rights attorney Chel Diokno,[11] the founding dean of the De La Salle University Tañada-Diokno School of Law.

After his release on September 11, 1974, which came after spending 718 days as a political prisoner under the Marcos administration, he organized FLAG with his friend, retired Sen. Tañada and a group of young lawyers.

Arno Sanidad later stated that in 1976, he was among the five lawyers from the University of the Philippines Diliman to serve as the first paralegals in the country, under the guidance of Diokno and FLAG.

[17] Most cases at this time regarding human rights abuses were handled by FLAG, in coordination with smaller groups such as the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines.

[24][25] Among the recent advocacies of FLAG has been to help stem the tide of extrajudicial killings linked to the Philippine drug war started by President Rodrigo Duterte.