Newest Office in Ethiopia Part of Growing Africa Program

USAID recently committed $2.7 million over three years to launch a new ABA ROLI project in Ethiopia.  The project will focus on judicial reform, legal education reform, and potentially election-related training. More »»

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ABA ROLI Trains the Trainers on Anti-Trafficking

ABA ROLI, in partnership with the Anti-Human Trafficking & Child Labour Unit (AHT&CL) of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) facilitated a highly participatory “Train the Trainers” workshop on September 26 and 27, 2007, for trainers within NIS training institutions. The two-day workshop, held in Minna, in the state of Niger, had a total of 26 immigration (service) officers trained. More »»

ABA ROLI Joins Discussion at International Association of Prosecutors Conference

Mary Adele Greer, Senior Advisor for the ABA ROLI Criminal Law Program, presented a paper at the 12th Annual Conference of the International Association of Prosecutors in Hong Kong on September 16, 2007. Ms. Greer joined panelists representing the Prosecutorial Inspectorates from the UK and France in a session discussing performance measurements and assessments of prosecution services. More »»

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Rule of Law Initiative Participates in the Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility

On 28 September 2007, the Rule of Law Initiative’s Asia Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor, Andy Boname, spoke at the Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The presentation, addressing “Why and How Business Should Reduce Corruption”, alerted attendees to two recent APEC initiatives which give business an opportunity to reduce corruption and, at the same time, promote streamlined regulatory requirements. More »»

ABA ROLI- Sponsored PSAs Making a Difference in Kosovo

A September 2007 report summarizing impact research carried out throughout Kosovo revealed that nearly 60% of those surveyed were familiar with the ABA ROLI-sponsored public service announcements (PSAs) on the importance of integrity in the judiciary and legal system.  Half of respondents stated that because of the PSAs, they now were aware of their right to file complaints against judges and lawyers, and how to do so. More »»

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New Curriculum Approved for Pristina Law Faculty

On September 19, 2007, the University of Pristina Senate, as the governing body of the institution, approved a revised curriculum for the law faculty that includes all of the courses which the ABA Rule of Law Initiative has developed for the faculty over the last two years.  This significant step toward modernizing the course offerings of the law faculty marks the culmination of a nine-month effort by ABA ROLI, together with its partners USAID and the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as members of the law faculty, to have the courses adopted into the mainstream curriculum of the law school. More »»

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ABA ROLI Explains “How to Start a Law Firm in Kosovo”

On September 11 and 12, 2007, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative organized a seminar for attorneys on how to start a law firm in Kosovo.  The seminar was offered as part of the Kosovo Chamber of Advocates (KCA) Continuing Legal Education program and was funded by USAID. More »» 

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ABA ROLI Sponsors International Right to Know Day in Serbia

“Enough of this! I have the right to know.”  This was the theme of the 2nd Annual International Right to Know Day event held at the SAVA Center on September 28, 2007 in Belgrade, Serbia.  For the second year in a row, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative joined forces with Serbia’s Public Information Commissioner to sponsor this worldwide celebration that aims to promote the fundamental right of the public to have access to information held by their governments. More »»

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Initiative Secures Major Victory for Wronged Heir in Azerbaijan

Ruslan Yolchuyev, a lawyer for ABA ROLI’s Legal Advocacy Center (LAC) in Azerbaijan, recently won a major court case concerning inheritance law by helping his client regain the inheritance that had been wrongfully seized from him. The client lived, along with six other relatives, in an apartment owned by his father.  When his father died intestate without leaving a will, the client and his relatives applied to the notary office to obtain official “certificates of inheritance.” Though the client was denied, the remaining six relatives, all of whom were also heirs to the estate, were granted the appropriate certificates. More »»

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U.S. Senior Judge Visits Republic of Georgia

Judge Walker, a Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, was invited to Georgia to support and strengthen ongoing reforms in the country.  Throughout his stay, Judge Walker met with key players of the Georgian justice system, including representatives of the Supreme Court, the High Council of Justice, the High School of Justice, Tbilisi Appellate Court, and the Parliament Legal Affairs Committee. More »»

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ABA Helps Formulate Kosovo Judges Association (KJA) Strategic Plan & Organizational Assessment

On August 31, 2007, the Kosovo Judge’s Association’s (KJA’s) Managerial Board unanimously approved their Strategic Plan for 2007 to 2009.  The ABA Rule of Law Initiative contributed to the development, refinement and final publication of the plan which sets out the values, principles and most importantly, the mission and goals of the KJA for the next two years. The plan also defines the priorities, activities and projects that KJA will implement during this period. More »»

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ABA ROLI Trains Police and Prosecutors in Serbia for a Changing Code

In September 2007, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative hosted an important joint training for Serbian prosecutors and police in Novi Sad, a city in the Vojvodina region of Serbia. The Novi Sad gathering was part of an on-going initiative to prepare prosecutors for a new Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) and to provide quality continuing legal education for professionals within the judicial system.  While the CPC is still being refined, proposed provisions would entail a dramatic departure from the old code, and will require prosecutors to assume a new role and method of operation.  More »»

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In Ukraine, Law Professors Learn New Teaching Methodologies

In September 2007, ABA ROLI started its new training aimed at teaching law professors new methodologies for teaching law and introducing new courses into the current academic curriculum, as part of a USAID-funded legal education reform program. The first two seminars—“Interactive Methodologies of Teaching Law” and “Teaching Human Rights Law”—took place on September 6-8 and September 27-29, respectively and attracted almost 200 applications. This enthusiastic response suggests the great interest in and need for similar future trainings. More »»

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Leventhal Moves on to Department of State; New Hires Join Staff

Rob Leventhal, Director of the Europe and Eurasia Division of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative, leaves his post after six years of unparalleled leadership over the region’s technical assistance and anti-corruption programs. As Mr. Leventhal bids ABA ROLI farewell, several new hires join the team in different capacities. Tamara Senikidze comes to ABA ROLI as Program Associate for Georgia and Azerbaijan. In addition, Marjan Horst Ehsassi joined the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in September 2007 as Senior Program Manager for Algeria, Bahrain, Lebanon, Morocco, and Oman. More »»

Ecuador Criminal Justice Project Holds Mock Trial Training for Prosecutors, Police, and Judges

During the first two weeks of October 2007, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative’s Latin America and Caribbean Division is holding trainings for prosecutors, police, and judges in four cities in Ecuador.  The trainings include a mock trial emphasizing the necessity of close collaboration between police and prosecutors in building a successful case and the independence of the judiciary.  These two key elements of adversarial criminal justice systems have not been part of the traditional approach to cases in Ecuador. More »»

First Round of Judicial e-Learning Pilot Successful in Morocco

In September 2007, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative and Morocco’s national judicial training institute (l’Institut Supérieur de la Magistrature—ISM) began pilot testing of Morocco’s first ever e-learning judicial curriculum on the recently amended Family Code and women’s rights. More »»

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Moot Court Competition in Lebanon Builds Students’ Practical Skills

As part of the Human Rights Clinical Legal Education project with La Sagesse University Faculty of Law in Beirut, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative held a moot court competition for twelve fourth-year law students on August 30 and 31, 2007. Students were selected to take part in the competition based on their academic performance in a final-year International Humanitarian Law course and in a legal writing and advocacy skills workshop conducted by ABA ROLI and hosted by La Sagesse University in April, 2007. More »»

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New Journal Ryada Showcases Work of Arab Women Lawyers

The Arab Women’s Legal Network (AWLN), a regional forum for the exchange of expertise and information among women in the Middle East and North Africa, has recently produced an inaugural law journal entitled Ryada. The authors present legal research and commentaries on court decisions, orders and the latest judicial opinions in the Arab world. More »»

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ABA ROLI Holds Groundbreaking Shari’a Court Workshop in Bahrain

On September 4 to 11, 2007, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative and Judicial and Legal Studies Institute (JLSI) of the Kingdom of Bahrain jointly organized a workshop on “Procedures Before Shari’a Courts” that included the participation of 21 Bahraini judges. These judges represented all levels of the Shari’a Court—Appeals, High, and Summary Courts. More »»

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