FROM THE CHAIR

Deborah Enix-Ross On behalf of the entire leadership of the American Bar Association Section of International Law (ABA International), it is my pleasure to welcome you to the new bar year. ABA International is experiencing a series of firsts. It is my great privilege to be the first African American to Chair the Section. In 2007-2008, our Chair-Elect, Jeff Golden, will be the first non-U.S. resident lawyer to Chair the Section, and, in 2008-2009, our Vice-Chair, Aaron Schildhaus, will be the first solo practitioner to act as Chair. However, we are not stopping there. We are looking to our membership and await the day when we elect our first non-U.S. lawyer as Section Chair!! It could be you.

Many of the benefits that ABA International can offer you come through our more than 50 committees covering most substantive areas of international practice and all regions of the world. Committee membership is free, and there is no limit on the number of committees a member may join. Committee membership does not obligate you to become active on the Committee, but it is a great starting place for having an impact in the Section if you wish to be engaged. The FY 2006-07 Leadership Directory, which lists all our committees and their officers, can be found at http://www.abanet.org/directory/leaderdirectory.cfm.

We have an exciting slate of programming to offer you this year. You can read more about the Fall Meeting and our other programs below. I hope you will mark your calendars and make a point to join us at one or more of these great substantive and enjoyable events.

As I begin my term, I owe special thanks to Mike Byowitz, the Immediate Past Chair, for his support and most importantly the invaluable contributions he has made over the past years to the success of the Section. I look forward to building upon his and the contributions of the previous Chairs. I have a great support team this year including Jeff Golden, Aaron Schildhaus, our Financial Officer, Salli Swartz, and Glenn Hendrix, who is not only our Secretary/Liaison Officer but is my Deputy.

I am looking forward to a great year! I hope each and every one of you will consider how you can be more involved in the important and exciting work of ABA International - Your Gateway to International Practice!

Deborah Enix-Ross, Section Chair

ABA INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

We have a great line-up of cutting-edge programming in store for you this fall! We encourage you to sign-up today! To get updates on programming and events, visit our Section calendar on-line at: http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/calendar/home.html.

October 5, 2006 Live From the SEC: A Review of Recent Developments in International Securities Regulation and Enforcement
For the seventh consecutive year, ABA International, in conjunction with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, will broadcast live from the SEC. Join us as a video or teleconference site! Registration is still open but only until 9:00am ET, October 5^th at: http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/meet/SEC06.pdf. Don't miss the opportunity to earn up to 3.0 general/ethics CLE credit!

October 10, 2006 Transitional Justice Conference: From Nuremberg to Africa: The Evolution of Accountability
New York University School of Law, New York, NY

Register Today: http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/calendar/nuremberg.doc

October 12, 2006
CLE Teleconference: Recent Developments in International Service of Process
Attend the teleconference and live audio webcast if you have...

Needed to serve process on a party outside the U.S.
Wondered what the Hague Service Convention is and how it works.
Were curious if you could just serve an affiliate of the foreign party that is located in the U.S.
Wondered if you could just serve a foreign party by mail. If so, under what circumstances and how?
Been curious to hear about some of the problem areas in the world when it comes to serving process for U.S. lawsuits.
Wanted to hear practical tips on serving process abroad.

Register Today: http://www.abanet.org/cle/programs/t06uhs1.html

October 24, 2006
CLE Teleconference: Cross-Border Employment and Global Mobility Issues in Europe and Latin America: A Closer Look at International Assignments
Pre-registration is now available: http://www.abanet.org/cle/programs/t06cbe1.html

October 16-17, 2006
National Institute on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC
On the 29th anniversary of the passage of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the ABA's Annual FCPA Institute makes a timely return, with a new and innovative program featuring experts on the practical aspects of avoiding FCPA violations by creating and maintaining effective compliance programs with due diligence procedures tailored to a company's business; how to respond effectively if FCPA problems arise, including how to deal with the Department of Justice, the SEC and the shareholders during an FCPA investigation or prosecution; and the new challenges presented by increased enforcement of transnational bribery laws in multiple jurisdictions.
Register Today:http://www.abanet.org/cle/programs/n06fcp1.html

November 8-11, 2006
ABA International Fall Meeting
Biltmore Hotel, Miami, FL

WHY ATTEND?
The Section is committed to delivering the best, most practical and comprehensive education opportunities available to international lawyers. By joining us at the Fall Meeting you can:

Earn an entire year’s worth of CLE in just 3 days!
Keep up to date on issues important to your practice by hearing from experts who can provide insights into recent and anticipated developments of International Law.
Discuss the latest legal, ethical and international issues with international practitioners, government officials, in-house counsel and academics from around the world.
Take advantage of six special tracks of programs on key issues of particular appeal to your practice and interest areas: Business Law, Corporate Counsel, Customs/Trade, Dispute Resolution/Litigation, Law Practice and Public International Law. Each of these tracks has a substantial number of programs throughout the meeting.
Take advantage of our early bird and group discount rates before Oct. 6 th ! Click HERE to register for the meeting.

February 9-11, 2007
ABA International Midyear Meeting
Miami , FL
Please check the section calendar in the months to come for further Midyear Meeting information. To register for the meeting click here: http://www.abanet.org/midyear/2007/.

May 1-5, 2007
ABA International Spring Meeting, The Fairmont Hotel, Washington, DC
Mark Your Calendars for ABA International’s Spring Meeting May 1-5, 2007 in Washington, DC at the Fairmont Hotel. O ur Spring Meeting Co-Chairs – Michael E. Burke, James Klotz and Lisa J. Savitt – have already been hard at work assisted by a large and very active Planning Committee designing a must-attend meeting not only for ABA International members, but for the entire international legal community. The meeting will serve as an important outreach to practitioners from around the world as well as in-house counsel, academics, and officials from international institutions. Don’t miss what we expect to be a spectacularly successful meeting.

August 10-12, 2007
ABA Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA
In making your plans for next summer, please make sure to put us on your calendar for the 2007 ABA/Section Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California August 10-12! ABA International is already planning a strong slate of CLE programming.

ABA NEWS

ABA BOARD OF GOVERNORS APPOINTS SECTION'S NOMINEE TO THE DISCIPLINARY BOARD AND BOARD OF APPEALS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

The Section of International Law recommended that the ABA, through the International Criminal Bar (ICB), nominate John Wesley Hall for the ICC Disciplinary Board and/or Appeals Board of the International Criminal Court (ICC). [Click here for more information.]

ABA MEDAL GIVEN TO SECTION NOMINEE JEROME J. SHESTACK

Jerome J. Shestack of of the law firm of Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen in Philadelphia was presented with the 2006 American Bar Association Medal. [Click here for more information.]

ABA PRESIDENT KAREN MATHIS OUTLINES NEW INITIATIVES

Karen Mathis, incoming ABA President, outlined her three initiatives for this Association year: (1) Second Season of Service - created to address the needs of Boomer lawyers and to provide information, leadership, and guidance to help the whole profession cope with the challenges and opportunities of unprecedented number of lawyers attaining retirement age; (2) Youth at Risk - created to address issues confronting young people who are at risk of being caught up in the juvenile and criminal justice systems; and (3) Rule of Law - a series of symposia to highlight the importance of the rule of law.

ABA INTERNATIONAL SPONSORS RECEPTION AT ABA RULE OF LAW SYMPOSIUM

ABA President Karen Mathis recently welcomed participants to the 2006 International Rule of Law Symposium, which was jointly organized with the American Bar Association and the International Bar Association, in Chicago September 16th and 17th at the Westin Hotel. ABA International participated in the organization of the symposium and hosted the International Reception. The goal of the Symposium was to bring together the world-wide legal community - bar leaders, legal educators, international legal practitioners, government leaders, corporate general counsels and leaders of civil society - to discuss the global Rule of Law agenda both in developed and developing countries, how to defend the Rule of Law when it is attacked, and how to build or strengthen respect for the Rule of Law. Keynote speakers included Mary Robinson and Lord Goldsmith. To reach a copy of their remarks, click here: [ Mary Robinson | Lord Goldsmith ]

ABA INTERNATIONAL SPONSORS WELCOME BREAKFAST AT IBA ANNUAL MEETING

ABA International sponsored a standing room only outreach breakfast program at the International Bar Association Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The outreach breakfast was held on September 19; a panel of Section leaders (Deborah Enix-Ross, Ken Reisenfeld, Jeff Golden and Don DeAmicis) and ABA leaders (President Karen Mathis and House of Delegates Chair Laurel Bellows) outlined the advantages of ABA and Section membership to a large, highly enthusiastic crowd. Results were immediate, as we enrolled several new members on the spot.

ON THE POLICY FRONT

Hearing on "Weapons of Mass Destruction: Current Nuclear Proliferation Challenges"

Ambassador Thomas Graham, Jr. and Jonathan Granoff, co-chairs of the Section's Blue Ribbon Task Force on Nuclear Nonproliferation, along with Dr. Hans Blix, testified before the House of Representatives Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations on Tuesday, September 26. For more information on the hearing please go to: http://www.gsinstitute.org/gsi/newsletter/newsletter_2006-09-20.html.

NEWS FROM THE ABA ANNUAL MEETING

The Annual Meeting, held August 3-9 in Honolulu, was a great success. With the participation of over 400 Section members and their families, it truly was a family friendly event. ABA International was honored to have Mr. Fali Nariman, President of the India Bar, as our keynote speaker during our Section Dinner. His comments on the achievements of international law, can be found at: http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/annual06/nariman_address.doc. In addition to a busy schedule including 12 CLE programs and very special evening events, the Section was pleased to be joined by no less than seven of our former Section Chairs. And lest you think we had any time to spend on the beach, the Section leadership met with a number of international bars during the meeting to further relationships and to stimulate additional opportunities for collaboration. Meetings were held with top leaders from the following bars:

Bar Council
Belgian National Bar
Council of the Bar and Law Societies of the European Community (CCBE)
French Speaking Brussels Bar
Japan Federation of Bar Associations
Law Society of England and Wales
Law Society of Ireland

The Section Council met on August 4, 2006. The agenda and minutes from the meeting can be found here.

The ABA House of Delegates approved the Section’s policy recommendation on the Hague Convention Choice of Court Agreements. A full text of the policy recommendation adopted by the ABA Board of Governors and supporting report can be found at: http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/policy/investment/hcca0806.pdf

The recommendation on global migration was also approved. A full text of that policy recommendation and report can be found at: http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/policy/misc/migration0806.pdf

ABA International co-sponsored three other policy recommendations which were approved at the Annual Meeting on: (1) the General Agreement on Trade in Services; (2) revisions to the Model Rule for the Licensing and Practice of Foreign Legal Consultants; and (3) the United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts. A full copy of these recommendations and others approved by the ABA House of Delegates at the Annual Meeting can be found at: http://www.abanet.org/leadership/2006/annual/DAILY_JOURNAL.pdf

A full list of international law policies approved by the ABA can be found at: http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/leadership/policy.html.

To read a full report by the Section Delegates Josh Markus and Mike Byowitz on the House of Delegates meeting, click on: http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/leadership/2006delegates_report.pdf

STRATEGIC PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

We had a great leadership retreat in Maui from August 1-3 in advance of the Annual Meeting. Over sixty Section and committee leaders engaged in interactive sessions over two days. Discussions centered on the Section's new Strategic Plan and future implementation activities. A summary of the recommendations is posted on the leadership page of the Section website at: http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/leadership/ABAStrategicPlanMinutes.doc

COMMITTEE WEBPAGES

Check out all our committee webpages – not only will you find more content, you’ll find updated leadership rosters have already been posted. Recently-updated webpages of particular interest include:

Africa Committee
International Human Rights Committee
International Trade Committee
Law Student, LL.M & New Lawyer Outreach Committee
Women's Interest Network

ABA INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTERS

ABA International offers no less than 18 substantive newsletters. Links to the most recent edition of each newsletter are set forth below:

International Health Law Committee Newsletter - Sept. 2006
International Securities & Capital Markets Newsletter: August 2006
ABA-SIL Human Rights Committee e-Brief - September 18, 2006
The Mexico Update: Summer/Fall 2006

ESSENTIAL BOOKS

Do you ever need to hire a lawyer in another country? One of the most respected guides is the ABA Guide to Foreign Law Firms, published by the Section. Or do you need to know something about another country's law? Titles such as the China Law Deskbook could really save you. Take a moment to look at the large selection of titles available at www.ababooks.org/foreign.html. You can order online or call toll-free at 800-285-2221. Best of all, Section members get a discount on all of the books published by the Section.

AWARDS

We have appointed a number of committees to make recommendations for ABA International Awards this coming year. I would like to thank the following ABA International leaders for chairing these important committees:

Francis Shattuck Security and Peace Award : John Shattuck

International Rule of Law Award : Benjamin Apt, Carole Basri, and Russell Kerr

Leonard J. Theberge Award for Private International Law : Louise Ellen Teitz

Louis B. Sohn Award for Public International Law : Edison Dick and Ved Nanda

Mayre Rasmussen Award for the Advancement of Women in International Law : Aileen Pisciotta and Lisa J. Savitt

Award for Outstanding Performance by an International Lawyer in a Government or International Organization : Edison Dick, Meyer Eisenberg and John Magnus

STAFF CHANGES

The Section welcomes a new Associate Director, Elina Erlendsson, previously with the ABA Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative for over four years. We also have a new Director of Membership, Angela Benson. For a complete listing of Section staff and responsibilities, click here: http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/leadership/staff.html

The Section sends best wishes to Hongxia Liu, Director of the United Nations Development Programme International Legal Resource Center, who is moving to Sydney, Australia, at the end of the month.

The Section also sends best wishes to Lauren Newman, Meetings & Programs Coordinator, who will be joining the marketing department of Blank Rome LLP's DC Office.

MEMBER NEWS

Congratulations to Section Member Jimmie Reyna who became President of the Hispanic Bar Association September 1, 2006.

Carrie Newton Lyons, Co-Chair of the Section's National Security Committee, has been appointed Section Liaison to the ABA Special Committee on Disaster Response and Preparedness. The Special Committee will address issues from man made and natural disasters, ranging from uninterrupted operation of the justice system and legal practices to delivery of legal services and more.

ABA INTERNATIONAL CO-SPONSORED PROGRAMS

UIA Congress - The Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA) is holding it’s 50 th Congress October 31 to November 4, 2006 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The UIA is one of the world's oldest global organization of lawyers and bar associations with members in 110 countries around the world. With administrative offices in Paris, the UIA focuses on the full range of international issues and networking between lawyers: its working languages are English, French and Spanish (simultaneous translation is provided at major events) and its annual congress offers a multicultural experience in cross-border education and contacts in all the major business and general practice specialties. For more information on the Congress and to register, please visit http://congres.uianet.org/en/salvador/ .

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