Rule of Law Initiative Programs - Liberia
Legal Education Reform
Access to Justice
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| Louis Arthur Grimes Law School |
The main goal of the Liberian office of the Rule of Law Initiative is to promote access to justice. This is achieved through a wide range of programs. Firstly, the ABA is currently operating two legal aid centers in Liberia. As part of the program at the Louis Arthur Grimes Law School, support has been given to both public prosecution and public defense, as well as to other projects. The ABA's second legal aid center provides advice and support for victims of gender based violence. The Africa Division plans to open two additional legal aid centers by March 2008.
One of the major ways in which the ABA seeks to promote access to justice is through capacity building. To this end, the ABA has provided scholarships to 14 law students, and will provide an additional 6 scholarships in July 2007. These scholarships are designed to promote interest in, and awareness of, the public service dimensions of the legal profession. Thus, the students involved participate in various internships which promote access to justice. Furthermore, as a condition of their scholarships, these students are required to engage in public service practice for a year after graduation. The ABA is currently in talks to place these graduates with a diversity of organizations, such as the American Refugee Committee, the Carter Center, and The Justice and Peace Commission.
For more information, contact Anthony Valcke at <avalcke@staff.abanet.org>.
Mediation Reform and Training
The ABA recognizes that legal proceedings in a court of law may sometimes be prohibitively expensive or otherwise out of reach to many in post-conflict countries. Therefore, the ABA has a robust training program designed to improve the prevalence of mediation as a means of managing minor legal issues, as well as the proficiency and knowledge of existing mediators.
The Africa Division has already held several training sessions on mediations for national and international NGOs, as well as for hearing officers of the Ministry of Labor. The ABA is also working with a pro-bono expert to develop materials designed to assist the Ministry of Labor in its own mediation training program.
The ABA has also held and participated in workshops on the law regarding mediation. These workshops are designed to evaluate the current mediation law and provide input into proposed revisions to it.
For more information, contact Laurie Cooper at <lcooper@staff.abanet.org>.
Legal Profession Reform
Legislative Reform
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| His Excellency, Minister Samuel Kofi Woods, II Minister of Labor, Liberia 2006 ABA Reformer’s Award Recipient |
The Liberian Minister of Labor has asked the Rule of Law Initiative to aid in reforming the current Liberian law. The Minister of Labor is seeking to modernize the labor law, and sought input from the ABA. The ABA has been able to draw on attorneys from around the world to provide suggestions to revamping the entire Liberian Labor Law..
This program continues to be pursued by the ABA and by the Minister of Labor. The Africa Division has participated in numerous workshops organized by the Ministry of Labor to discuss the benefits and complications of proposed reforms. In addition, the ABA has worked with the Ministry of Labor to produce and distribute copies of the labor law to such groups as NGOs, labor unions, small business organizations, and multi-national corporations.
For more information, contact Anthony Valcke at <avalcke@staff.abanet.org>.
