Support to the Kyrgyzstani Legal Defense Community Annual Report, October 2015 – September 2016

Agency for International Development (USAID). The program aimed to improve access to an impartial justice system, build public confidence in the legal system, and promote stability in the Kyrgyz Republic through a three-pronged approach focused on enhancing the capacity, skills, and knowledge of practicing attorneys and the next generation of Kyrgyzstani lawyers. The primary objectives of the program were to support the development and growth of a unified bar association and enhance the qualifications of attorneys to serve the needs of the public, and to equip future generations of lawyers with the advocacy skills and knowledge to provide quality legal representation to citizens in need in a fair and adversarial manner. To achieve these objectives, ABA ROLI worked closely with the Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic (MOJ), the National Advocatura, and the defense community to support the regional advocaturas as they developed the basic tools and capacity at the local level necessary to establish themselves as both local entities and effective members of the National Advocatura. Throughout the reporting period, ABA ROLI continued its efforts to work towards the achievement of these two objectives by building the capacity of defense attorneys and law students to provide effective representation through innovative Continuing Legal Education (CLE) opportunities and identifying trends and opportunities within the legal sector for further reform through the implementation of its Legal Profession Reform Index. ABA ROLI supported the advocate community to conduct the Extraordinary Congress of Advocates, which brought together more than 200 defense advocates from all regions of the country to serve as voting delegates representing their respective regional advocaturas. ABA ROLI also continued to support trainings for practicing advocates through the Advocatura Training Center (ATC) and practical skills opportunities for students through seven legal clinics and the Legal Clinics Association (LCA), which was established this year as a coordinating institution for clinical education. ABA ROLI conducted strategic planning trainings for the staff of the regional advocaturas and the ATC, equipping them with tools to better facilitate the administration of their institutional activities. In addition, ABA ROLI and the LCA continued to offer extra-curricular opportunities for law students to hone their practical legal skills by conducting the annual Client Counseling Competition and hosting a human rights-focused summer camp in Issyk-Kul for 15 of the top law student-clinicians. ABA ROLI achieved significant successes and completed several program outcomes, including conducting two strategic planning trainings for the representatives of nine regional advocaturas, conducting ten trainings on civil law issues for 280 defense advocates, and hosting an International Conference on Developing and Strengthening the Advocatura of the Kyrgyz Republic. ABA ROLI also supported the establishment of three committees under the National Advocatura, including the Committee on Legislation, the Committee on Protection of Rights and Interests of Advocates, and the Committee on Continuing Legal Education. The Committee on Legislation will form working groups to devise draft amendments to current legislation and distribute them amongst advocates to generate discussion. The Committee on Protection of Rights and Interests of Advocates will act on behalf of defense attorneys who encounter any forms of mistreatment in the line of work. The Committee on Continuing Legal Education will provide continued support to the ATC to ensure its offerings remain responsive to mandatory CLE requirements and the interests of advocates. ABA ROLI also supported the LCA to conduct two roundtables on "The role of clinical legal education" and "Development and sustainability of the Legal Clinics Association in Kyrgyzstan" among the representatives of the legal clinics and other stakeholders. This is part of a larger effort to ensure sustainability of the LCA and promote mandatory clinical legal education as part of the law school curriculum. ABA ROLI, in partnership with other international donors, supported the Extraordinary Congress of Advocates of the Kyrgyz Republic, where more than 200 advocates discussed substantial issues of the Advocatura, including approval of the ATC's charter and the membership dues structure. ABA ROLI also supported the law students of ten legal clinics throughout the country to participate in the Client Counseling Competition, where they demonstrated their practical skills in client interaction and increased their professional skills as defense advocates. ABA ROLI, in cooperation with the Advocatura, hosted delegates from the Union of Advocates of the Republic of Tajikistan to exchange knowledge and share the Advocatura's experiences as a new national bar association. This exchange reflected the growing reputation of the Advocatura in the region and its ability to provide a positive example to counterpart bar associations. ABA ROLI, in partnership with the Advocatura and ATC, conducted a strategic planning workshop for the ATC to identify further directions and strategy for the near future. ABA ROLI developed and published outreach materials, including infographics and PSAs, about the Advocatura of the Kyrgyz Republic to raise public awareness about the role and responsibilities of defense advocates