The International Bar Leaders’ Delegations (“Delegations”) were inaugurated in the 2003-4 ABA year by then-Section Chair Josh Markus in an effort to strengthen ABA International’s outreach to lawyers’ associations and other groups outside the United States. Each ABA year, Delegations, composed of senior ABA International leadership, visit key legal centers around the world. The purpose of the Delegations is to:

• meet with leaders of local lawyers’ associations and local legal institutions (such as the judiciary, law schools and government ministries) in order to promote cooperation and routine contacts between such local groups and ABA International;
• exchange ideas and information with and from local hosts on matters of mutual interest and concern;
• meet with existing members of ABA International and recruit new members to ABA International;
• identify future ABA International leaders; and
• lay the groundwork for future, local, ABA International projects and events. 

Recent delegations have visited England, France, Spain, and the Netherlands (2003-4); China, Japan, and Hong Kong (2004-5); Argentina, Brazil, and Chile (2005-6); Germany and Italy (2006-7); and Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia (2007-8). As a result of the Delegations, in past years ABA International has held an International Legal Exchange Program in England and France, and a Regional Meeting in Buenos Aires. In the 2007-8 ABA year, ABA International will hold its International Legal Exchange program in Japan, Korea, China, and Hong Kong and a Regional Meeting in São Paulo.  The Delegations have allowed ABA International to expand its leadership to include more non-US lawyers and strengthen its relationships with lawyers’ associations outside the United States and local legal institutions.

View past Delegation itineraries:

Ukraine, Russia and Georgia
January 20-25, 2008

Germany and Italy
June 18-22, 2007

Argentina, Brazil and Chile
March 6-10, 2006

China, Japan and Hong Kong
June 19-28, 2005

England, France, Spain and the Netherlands
March 8-12, 2004