Eighth Asia Pro Bono Conference

For several years now, there has been an annual Asia Pro Bono Conference focusing on pro bono partnerships and pro bono efforts in Southeast Asia.  DLA Piper/New Perimeter has participated in most of them and I have had the fortunate opportunity to attend the last four.  The conference is in a different location every year.  This year, the 8th Asia Pro Bono Conference (8APBC) took place in Kathmandu, Nepal.  Of course, Kathmandu is close to our hearts as it is also the location of our annual Women Lawyers Training Program.

This year’s 8APBC took place in September. Because of my participation in the past and knowledge of Nepal, my participation started earlier in the year when I was asked to serve on the Program Committee.

The conference was a huge success. It drew 750 participants from over 30 countries.  Participants included lawyers, non-profits, NGOs, bar associations, the UNDP, and government officials.  Among the participants were our project partners – the Nepal Bar Association and Women Lawyers Joining Hands – and several of the lawyers we trained through our work providing continuing legal education to Nepali women lawyers.  During the three days, over 40 sessions (some in large group format; some in small group format) took place.  Topics included many of the subject areas we at New Perimeter work so hard on – women empowerment, juvenile rights, sound legal institutions, human trafficking, prison reform, serving the underserved.

Personally, this particular conference had special meaning.  This is because it was in the city where we have been so engaged in training women lawyers.  I was asked to be on the Plenary panel and this gave me an opportunity, right at the beginning of the conference, to discuss our Women Lawyers Training Program to with participants.  I was also asked to talk about my pro bono hero – my father. Throughout the conference, I was able to showcase New Perimeter’s work and discuss potential new partnerships and opportunities.  Being on that first panel really enriched my experience.

We also had a session specifically on women empowerment which I presented with Women Lawyers Joining Hands and the UNDP.  In this session, we invited two of the women who graduated from our training to speak about the benefits of the training.  They spoke not only of the substance of what they learned, but of the confidence building aspect of the training and the networking opportunities.  One spoke about starting her own training program, demonstrating the self-sustaining momentum that is building.  Quite frankly – these two women stole the show. 

One final note about the overlapping nature of the work New Perimeter does:  on the first day, a young women from Myanmar came up to me very excited.  “Do you remember me?” she said.  She was familiar and I said “Yes.”  She replied: “You taught me mock trial training skills in Yangon when I was a student.  Now I have graduated and am a lawyer!”