Press Release - New Perimeter and Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative complete 2nd Myanmar National CLE Workshop

NEWS: For Immediate Release

November 25, 2013 – New Perimeter, DLA Piper’s nonprofit affiliate dedicated exclusively to global pro bono work, and Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEA CLE) are pleased to announce the completion of the second Myanmar National Clinical Legal Education (CLE) Workshop. The workshop occurred September 27-29, 2013 at the University of Mandalay and included faculty from 17 universities in Myanmar and lawyers from three Mandalay law firms.

Building on the success of the inaugural CLE workshop at the University of Yangon in Myanmar in July 2013, the workshop was organized in furtherance of a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) project to support the development of CLE in Myanmar. Developed in consultation with Myanmar’s Ministry of Education, the workshop focused on providing practical guidance for university law departments across the country in developing and implementing CLE programs.

“It was an enormous privilege to work alongside legal professionals and researchers from across Southeast Asia and elsewhere in the world to help further apply CLE teaching methods in Myanmar,” said DLA Piper lawyer Michael Gill, who taught a course focused on interviewing and counseling skills, as well as pro bono legal work. “Participants were highly engaged throughout the workshop and very receptive to the benefits of CLE for helping students better apply the law through interactive and experiential learning. The process also helped draw attention to the importance of pro bono work early in a legal career.”

The second workshop focused on the practical requirements and potential hurdles that participants might face in instituting interactive and skills-based legal training into their curricula. Among the key issues discussed were how to establish and operate a legal clinic; the development of community teaching curricula; and instituting evaluation systems to better ensure the needs of specific communities are met. Sessions were facilitated by regional and international CLE experts, pro bono lawyers and researchers from Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the United States and Vietnam.

On the heels of the CLE workshop, BABSEA CLE hosted the second Southeast Asia/Asia Pro Bono Conference and Workshop in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on October 11-12, 2013. The conference explored how pro bono initiatives can strengthen access to justice for communities in Southeast Asia and internationally. To further highlight the concepts discussed during the workshop in Myanmar, BABSEA CLE brought 15 law faculty and 11 law firm/civil society members from Myanmar to the Southeast Asia/Asia Pro Bono Conference in Vietnam.

BABSEA CLE is a not-for-profit organization that has been working in the Southeast/South Asia region for more than 10 years helping universities establish and strengthen CLE programs. Bruce A. Lasky, co-director of BABSEA CLE, said “the success of the second workshop and the passionate support of the subsequent pro bono conference further reinforces the commitment throughout Southeast Asia to utilizing pro bono initiatives and CLE programs to help increase access to justice for underserved populations.”

As part of its broader commitment to providing pro bono support in Myanmar, New Perimeter, in partnership with Perseus Strategies and the Jacob Blaustein Institute, conducted a broad rule of law needs assessment in the country in 2012. Based on meetings with government officials, non-governmental organizations, embassy staff and local lawyers, the team released a written report, “Myanmar Rule Of Law Needs Assessment,”detailing their findings, which included an opportunity to enhance Myanmar’s legal education system.

About New Perimeter (www.newperimeter.com)

A unique initiative in the legal industry, New Perimeter provides pro bono legal assistance primarily in less developed and post-conflict regions. New Perimeter draws on the skills and talents of more than 4,200 DLA Piper lawyers globally and focuses its projects in the areas of legal education, access to justice and law reform, women’s and children’s rights, environmental protection, economic development and food security. 

About DLA Piper (www.dlapiper.com)

DLA Piper is a global law firm with 4,200 lawyers located in more than 30 countries throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, positioning it to help companies with their legal needs anywhere in the world. In certain jurisdictions, this information may be considered attorney advertising. 

About Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (www.babseacle.org/)

Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEA CLE) is an international access to justice, legal education not for profit organization that focuses on ethically oriented legal capacity development and community empowerment. BABSEA CLE has been working collaboratively with universities, law students, law ­faculties, lawyers, members of the legal community, and justice related organizational partners since 2003 to develop Clinical Legal Education (CLE) programs throughout Southeast Asia. These programs and clinics assist communities, provide legal aid services and simultaneously help to build the next generation of social justice, pro-bono minded champions. 

CONTACTS:

Josh Epstein, Media Relations, DLA Piper, 212.776.3838

Wendy Jane Morrish, Co-Director, BABSEA CLE, wmorrish@babseacle.org 

 


About DLA Piper

DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, positioning us to help clients with their legal needs around the world. In certain jurisdictions, this information may be considered attorney advertising.

About New Perimeter

New Perimeter is a nonprofit organization established by global law firm DLA Piper to provide pro bono legal assistance in under-served regions around the world to support access to justice, social and economic development and sound legal institutions. Founded in 2005 as a result of our firm’s commitment to support legal advancement worldwide, New Perimeter’s vision is to harness the skills and talents DLA Piper lawyers to further a more just world for all.

Contacts

Josh Epstein, Media Relations, DLA Piper, T. 212.776.3838