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Dear Members, “Committees,” someone once said, “are where grown men and women keep minutes and waste hours.” But, in the Section of International Law, we love them! ABA International has more than 60 Committees organized along practice, geographic and special interest lines. And, as hopefully you know by now, when you join the Section, membership in any and all of our Committees is free. At the moment, our Committees are a bee-hive of activity – and the output has been impressive to watch. Many thanks to Vice Chair, Glenn Hendrix, and our excellent team of Division Chairs, who oversee the process. More than 40 Committees recently submitted articles for the Section’s annual “Year in Review” issue of our flagship publication, The International Lawyer. Due to be released in early summer 2008, this extremely popular special review edition will cover a broad spectrum of topics, including business regulation, dispute settlement, finance, public international law and tax, as well as industry and geographical coverage. Congratulations to all the Committee leaders who were tasked with the challenge and met the strict deadlines for submission. Congratulations also to the Committees behind two very successful recent CLE teleconferences. On November 27, the Section’s International Antitrust Law Committee and the ABA Antitrust Section co-sponsored Don’t Drop Your Bundle: The (New) Rules of the Game for Advising Global Companies on the Legality of Product Bundling, which had 118 participants. On December 11, 131 attendees dialed in to join Enhanced IEEPA Fines for Export Control and Embargoes: What Does it Mean for Your Clients, a CLE teleconference sponsored by the Section’s Export Controls and Economic Sanctions Committee. Make it your New Year’s resolution to join one or more new Committees. Not only does membership improve your opportunities to network and give you access to key developments in your field, it also helps us, by capturing your valuable ideas and insights, to achieve our mission: ensuring the unbeatable combination of “International Law, World Class”. In fact, don’t wait to the new year; click here and sign on today. And, while you are in “signing up” mode, think about joining many of the Section’s leaders at the 2008 ABA Midyear Meeting, February 6–10, in Los Angeles. We are delighted that the International Law Section of the Orange County Bar Association and the International Law Section of the Los Angeles Bar Association have signed on as the Section’s Cooperating Entities for this Meeting. The Section will also co-sponsor three CLE programs on February 7 — Work Life Balance Pays!; Birthright Citizenship – International Trends and Policies; and Emerging Trends in Alternative Disputes Resolution in China. We have arranged distinguished panels for each program, and they will not disappoint. Attendance at all three of these CLE sessions is free for law students. In conjunction with the ABA Midyear Meeting, the Section will host two free Pathways to Employment in International Law events, part of our continuing outreach this year to law students and young lawyers seeking to develop their international legal careers. The first event will take place on February 6 at the Southwestern University School of Law, and the second will be held the next day at Pepperdine University. Each Pathways panel discussion will be followed by a networking reception. Finally, the Section invites all members participating in the Midyear Meeting to attend a special reception on February 7th in honor of the international and local bar leaders who will be with us in Los Angeles. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our members around the world a joyous and peaceful holiday season. As a Section, we have every reason to approach the New Year with the greatest of expectations. I thank our members for all that you do and look forward to working with you in 2008!
Jeffrey B. Golden, Section Chair
ON THE POLICY FRONT The Council approved submission of joint comments with the Section of Antitrust Law on the Commission of the European Communities’ Draft Notice on the Conduct of Settlement Proceedings in View of the Adoption of Decisions Pursuant to Article 7 and Article 23 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 in Cartel Cases. Click here to read the joint comments whichare available on the Section’s web site and here to read the accompanying cover letter.
The Section of International Law, together with the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities and the ABA Center for Human Rights, hosted a two-hour briefing and discussion with Hina Jilani, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders, on Tuesday, December 18, in Washington, D.C. One of Pakistan's leading attorneys, Ms. Jilani co-founded, with her sister Asma Jahangir, Pakistan's first all-female legal practice in 1980. Ms. Jahangir, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, was recently placed under house arrest and subsequently released. Ms. Jilani is a co-founder of Pakistan's Human Rights Commission. Organized in cooperation with Amnesty International, the discussion focused on recent events in Pakistan and prospects for the rule of law there. 
For updates on programming and events, visit our Section calendar on-line at www.abanet.org/intlaw/calendar. January 9, 2008 Alternative Dispute Resolution Program February 6-12, 2008 This year's Midyear Meeting will be held February 6-12, in sunny Los Angeles, California. The headquarter hotel for the Section of International Law is the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza located at 2025 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, California, 90067. The Section will be holding three CLE programs on Thursday, February 6th. These programs are as follows: February 15, 2008
- SAVE THE DATE! April 1-5, 2008 The Section invites you to a very special 2008 Spring Meeting in New York, April 1-5. We hope you will make plans to join us and take advantage of this unique opportunity to meet with international practitioners (both in-house and outside counsel), academicians, and government officials from around the world and to network with members of ABA International. The 2008 Spring Meeting main event will be held at The Grand Hyatt Hotel. Get a head start before the New Year and register for the 2008 Spring Meeting at the early bird discount rate. This one time rate expires February 22, so don’t delay. Click here to register and view the preliminary Spring Meeting website. Interested in sponsorship or exhibiting opportunities? Contact Jessica Bowman at 202.662.1663 or Bowmanj@staff.abanet.org to see the opportunities still available. August 6-7, 2008 August 8-10, 2008 September 24-27, 2008 Interested in sponsoring at the Fall Meeting? Contact Jessica Bowman at 202.662.1663 or Bowmanj@staff.abanet.org to hear what sponsorship opportunities are available.
Click here for a full list of ABA International Co-Sponsored Programs.
The Pathways to Employment in International Law National Tour will kick off 2008 programs in January. If you are interested in being a speaker at any upcoming programs, please contact Angela Benson:
ABA International hosts CLE teleconferences every month. We need your suggestions and ideas for future events. For more information about the Section’s CLE teleconference program, please contact Tally White at whitet@staff.abanet.org or by phone at +1 (202) 662-1672. Mark your calendars for this upcoming teleconference program: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 
The Section’s two quarterly publications are now available online in our members-only section of the web site:
Congratulations to Chandri Navarro-Bowman and Melanie A. Frank, whose Fall 2006 International Law News article What CAFTA Will Mean for Business and Trade in the Americas has been selected as one of “The Best Articles Published by the ABA,” an annual special edition of GP Solo, the magazine of the ABA’s General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division. Section members may access the original, unabridged article online by clicking here. 
ABA INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE HOME PAGES Check out all of our committee home pages — not only will you find more content, you’ll find updated leadership rosters have already been posted. Recently updated home pages of particular interest include: Anti-Corruption Committee
ABA International offers no fewer than 21 substantive newsletters. Links to the most recent edition of several newsletters are set forth below: Newsletter of the International Mergers & Acquisitions Committee: Sept. 2007 If you wish to join a committee, you can do so on-line. To be active and get on the more limited steering group listserv, you will also find the proper coordinates on-line. 
This third edition of a best seller is an essential resource for law students and lawyers interested in a career in international law, irrespective of age, experience, nationality, residence or practice area. The book's four parts cover foreign practice, private sector, public sector, and practice tips and methodology. Each chapter is written by an attorney who has made the transition to international law. The authors detail their paths and describe what their work truly entails, including the pros and cons of their positions. Topics covered include: strategies for starting and developing an international law practice; international in-house counsel careers; international law and the public sector; developing a small firm international law practice; networking; and more. This book will be available for shipment in January 2008. Table of Contents
Click here to buy this book online. |
