American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative Support for Law Schools and Bar Associations in Mexico Program Quarterly Report CY 2012, Quarter #1

The program aims to work closely with Mexican private and public justice sector operators to accomplish two overarching objectives: creating a sustainable mechanism to alleviate the state and federal government burden of retraining current and future justice operators on the new criminal justice system, and enhancing the ability of attorneys and judges to effectively and efficiently litigate and adjudicate cases. The Mexican justice sector is at a critical juncture in its implementation of the accusatorial system, which was initiated nationwide with the passage of the Constitutional reform in 2008. The program seeks to enhance private justice sector members' understanding of the accusatorial system and their substantial role in it, while also encouraging them to actively engage in the reform process. This is especially important in light of the federal government's submission of a draft Federal Code to Congress in September 2011, which will likely solidify the constitutional reforms adopted in 2008. The program supports the Mexican justice sector in its transition to an accusatorial legal system through several activities. These include establishing a Working Group to promote local ownership of reforms and training, supporting bar associations through training sessions and seminars, and supporting law schools through training sessions and seminars. The program also conducts judicial exchanges, including "Sister Courthouse" visits, to support professional peer exchanges. During the current reporting period, the program continued working together with a legal profession program supported by the Canadian Embassy at the express request of Mr. Felipe Borrego, SETEC's Secretary. The program also maintained close contact with the Secretaría Técnica del Consejo de Coordinación para la Implementación del Sistema de Justicia Penal (SETEC), an institution regularly involved in and informed of the program's activities. The program's resident staff includes Country Director Alonso González Villalobos, Deputy Country Director Katia Ornelas Núñez, Field Financial Manager Gabriela Cruz Ortiz, and new members Sahila Hernández Uribe and David Fernández Mena, who joined the program this quarter as Law School and Bar Association Coordinator. The program has also completed various activities, including the public release of the Legal Education Reform Index (LERI) and the Legal Profession Reform Index (LPRI) reports, and the development of a first draft of the "Guide for the Strengthening of the Legal Education and Legal Profession in Mexico" (Reform Guide). The program has also made significant progress in engaging private practitioners and academics in ongoing dialogues on the accusatorial system. This includes conducting an assessment of the legal profession to serve as the basis for reform recommendations, providing training sessions on skills specific to the new system, and leading a bar association study tour. The program has also supported law schools through training sessions and seminars, and has led a law school study tour. Overall, the program has made significant progress in supporting the Mexican justice sector in its transition to an accusatorial legal system. The program's activities have been well-received by the Mexican justice sector, and the program has been able to complete these activities with over $64,960.53 in cost share contributions from local counterparts.