SOC eNews April 2008 | What's Happening with the ABA International Law Section (ILRC)

what's happening with . . .
The ABA International Law Section's International Legal Resource Center

FREE Registration with the International Legal Resource Center (ILRC)!
By Timothy Dickinson, Chair, International Legal Resource Center

Seated within the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of International Law, the ILRC was established in December 1999 as a mechanism for providing technical legal assistance and support on a volunteer basis to the United Nations Development Programme* (UNDP). The project represents the common commitment of UNDP and the ABA to advocate for the rule of law and good governance on a global scale. The ILRC identifies legal specialists for short- and long-term assignments such as drafting national legislation in country, devising support programs for enforcement mechanisms, implementing capacity development initiatives, which include training workshops, and conducting evaluations of programs designed to address legal substantive issues. The ILRC also conducts legal research and analysis on a wide variety of topics, facilitates the review of domestic legislation vis-à-vis international standards and best practices, serves as a repository of legal information, and provides other services upon request.

UNDP/Comoros staff during a constitutional law and decentralization project which was supported by two ILRC volunteers.

The legal specialists are placed with UNDP offices worldwide. They are selected from a database of over 1,350 members from common law, civil law, and mixed jurisdictions. Legal specialists who participate in overseas assignments experience rule of law first hand and return to their communities with a deeper understanding of international norms and their impact.

ILRC at a Glance (as of January 2008)

Number of Registered Experts: 1,360
Average Years of Experience: 16.4
(59.4% of experts have more than 10 years of experience)
Countries Represented in Roster: 93
Number of Languages and Dialects: 96
Percentage of Women in Roster: 35%
Percentage of Non-U.S. Experts: 45.5%

Number of UNDP offices serviced in 2007: 24

Registration comes at no cost and once a legal expert is registered with the ILRC, they are subscribed to a listserv. From there the legal expert will receive UNDP alerts for short term opportunities around the world. The ILRC staff then short list the legal experts that express interest in the opportunity by responding to the alerts via email and then submit the most qualified candidates to the respective UNDP country office and or regional bureau. The ILRC is continually searching to grow and diversify its pool of legal experts. If you wish to register to become a legal expert with the ILRC please complete the registration form. If you wish to find out more about the ILRC or if you have any questions regarding the registration process, please contact Jacqueline Gichinga, the ILRC Project Coordinator, at +1-202-662-1662 or gichingj@staff.abanet.org.

* The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations’ global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As governments strengthen local capacity, they draw on other UNDP offices at large and their wide range of partners.