August 20, 2007

Michael Gallagher with CLE workshop participants

On May 9, 2007, the Rule of Law Initiative hosted an event at the Judicial and Legal Studies Institute (JLSI) with ABA Judicial Education Expert Michael Gallagher in order to promote greater Continuing Legal Education (CLE). The event was for Bahraini private lawyers and focused on developing CLE at the Bahrain Law Society.

The main goals of the event were: (1) to elaborate further on the procedures needed in order for CLE to be successful; (2) to discuss a report that had been prepared by an ad hoc committee on CLE in Bahrain; and (3) to develop discussion and perhaps some proposals for next steps for the society.

During the event, Gallagher outlined why CLE is an essential strategic component in upgrading legal practice, what basic institutional structures are needed for CLE to develop, what core values are provided through CLE (using a proposed definition of best standards for practice development), and how CLE curricula should develop over time.