Namaste! Our Very Memorable DLA Piper New Perimeter Trip to Nepal

We were honored to have been chosen as two of nine DLA Piper lawyers to participate in the firm’s New Perimeter pro bono project in Nepal to help enhance the legal skills of Nepalese women lawyers.  New Perimeter has hosted this pro bono program, in conjunction with Women Lawyers Joining Hands and the Nepal Bar Association, for the past 3 years. 

We were paired to prepare written materials and role playing exercises for, and teach, Arbitration, Mediation and Negotiation skills.  Robbin is a certified mediator, specializing in financial restructures, out of court workouts and resolution of business and personal disputes; she spends a large amount of time negotiating and, where necessary litigating, financial matters in all industries.  Leeanne is a litigator, has participated in many mediations and frequently uses negotiation skills during litigation to resolve disputes.  So these topics were a perfect fit for us. The other skills taught by our DLA colleagues included intellectual property, contracts, torts, and professional development. 

The training spanned six days, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.  There were typically two tea breaks and a lunch break during which we could visit socially with the Nepalese women lawyers as well as the other teachers, including lawyers from Nepal who assisted us and commented on the Nepal legal system, processes and how certain practices, such as mediations, were handled locally as compared to the United States. 

We tried to make the classes as interactive as possible.  Much of our class time involved role playing exercises where the students represented counsel in a mock mediation or in private negotiations regarding real estate, contract and employment matters.  The women actively participated and enjoyed these exercises. 

What an amazing and unforgettable experience this trip provided us.  We worked with 60 beautiful, smart and enthusiastic Nepalese women lawyers of varying ages.  Approximately one-half were experiencing their first time in this program, with the other half having participated last year and now included in more advanced training programs focused on substantive skills. 

In between classes, the women attendees would often sing and dance! Several of us participated and we all laughed and sang together.  During the breaks we would be asked to participate in many “selfies” and exchange information concerning our legal practices, lifestyles and US celebrities!  On our last day the women lawyers provided us with very thoughtful and beautiful Nepalese gifts such as purses, earrings and shawls.  The women typically dressed in Nepalese clothing for class consisting of beautiful fabrics in gorgeous colors- and then, dressed in this clothing,  would hop on their motor bikes and go home after class, often two sharing a bike.  We had a memorable  cab trip  from class to our final evening event with several of our students riding alongside of us on their motorbikes, in full Nepalese clothing, helmets on, and smiling and waving to us all the way.  

On  our final day of the training,  the closing ceremony was held at a beautiful venue. The two of us, our DLA colleagues, and our new friends from Women Lawyers Joining Hands  all shopped together and purchased beautiful Nepalese clothes to wear.  When we walked into our classrooms dressed in our saris and kurtas, the Nepalese women lawyers were so touched and smiled, cheered and clapped.  That last day and ceremonious evening were very bittersweet as it was the end of our 6 days together –hugs and even some tears were prevalent throughout the day and evening. 

Our DLA group also enjoyed getting to know each other and shared memorable times together, such as an interesting tour of Kathmandu and its fascinating stupors, monasteries, public cremations and people.  But we will never forget the very happy, friendly and proud people of Nepal, the shop–filled bustling streets of Kathmandu, and the beautiful faces and warmth of our Nepalese women lawyers.  We learned and lived a culture about which we previously had no idea.  We arrived in Kathmandu after 20 hours inflight not knowing any of our fellow colleagues from the firm very well or at all, and left Kathmandu with many new friends, both inside and outside of the firm.  

We thank DLA Piper and New Perimeter for its incomparable law firm involvement in philanthropic and pro bono projects such as our work in Nepal, which has helped many women lawyers gain the confidence and skills they sought to excel in their legal practices in an under-served country.  We also thank DLA Piper and New Perimeter, for how it has united so many people from around the world and promoted education, peace and cooperation among  diverse countries and backgrounds. And finally, we are very grateful to DLA Piper and New Perimeter for giving us this fabulous educational and rewarding opportunity which we never imagined a law firm could or would provide to its lawyers. 

Thank You!

Namaste!

-Robbin Itkin and Leeanne Mancari