Programs

The International Senior Lawyers Project focuses on three program areas: > Human Rights and Social Welfare > Access to Justice > Equitable Economic Development In each of these program areas, ISLP offers experienced ONSITE VOLUNTEERS to help build the capacity of local non-governmental organizations, government agencies and other institutions; EXPERT LEGAL COUNSEL on corporate, transactional, litigation and other matters; and CROSS-BORDER RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS on human rights and other issues. ISLP's Human Rights program spans the globe from Afghanistan to Zambia. We send volunteers to work onsite with NGOs for assignments that vary from 1-2 weeks for short-term trainings to several months for longterm capacity building. We have worked with organizations that protect journalists in Russia, assist victims of human rights abuses and a corrupt legal system in Afghanistan, represent survivors of domestic violence in the Czech Republic, provide legal counsel to defendants in China and legal services to the poor in Thailand, address the issue of slavery in Mali, and promote the rights of the disabled in Kenya. More In a recent Access to Justice project, a volunteer created and taught the first trial practice course ever offered at the Centre for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria, South Africa. We have assisted the Ministry of Justice of the Government of Liberia in its prosecutorial work, advised it regarding legislative drafting for their new court specializing in rape and other sexual assaults, and helped prepare a manual for the prosecution of sex crimes. ISLP has also provided training and monitoring for the trial of Alberto Fujimori for crimes against humanity and created a blog to report on the trial of Charles Taylor. More In our work to promote Equitable Economic Development, ISLP successfully concluded its 6th year of the Commercial Law Training Program for historically-disadvantaged African attorneys and expanded our trade negotiation training program to three countries: Malawi, Zambia and a second training course in Rwanda. In addition, we worked closely with a major global firm in Washington to implement a program of ongoing mentoring and training in trade negotiation and commercial law areas (such as intellectual property) to the government of Rwanda. ISLP continues its economic development work in Liberia by assisting the government in reviewing and renegotiating natural resource concession agreements; helping to develop a model mining agreement and a model agricultural concession agreement; reviewing international treaties; providing advice on tax policy and regulations governing the exploration of minerals; and advising on various non-natural resource contracts. ISLP has expanded its services in this area to Sierra Leone, where it is providing high level counsel from both individual retired attorneys and law firms to review and negotiate contracts for the mining of gold, diamonds, rutile and other minerals. In addition, ISLP recruits highly experienced lawyers to provide capacity-building workshops for developing country governments on various topics related to the extractive industries. More


International Public Service Award ISLP was honored in 2008 to receive the annual Public Service Award bestowed by the International Law Section of the Washington, D.C. Bar Association. Prior recipients have included the Center for Constitutional Rights, Physicians for Human Rights and the International Rescue Committee.