This year's Legal Skills Development (LSD) programme, designed by EHRAC to complement participants’ existing legal knowledge and to build new practical litigation skills, brought together lawyers from some of the most active human rights NGOs in Russia, Georgia and Azerbaijan: Memorial HRC Moscow, the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, the Legal Education Centre and Media Rights Institute in Baku, and the Democracy & Human Rights Resource Centre in Sumgait.
The 2011 LSD programme covered a variety of sessions ranging from substantive lectures on the rights to freedom of assembly and association (Art. 11), and to private and family life (Art. 8), one-to-one sessions with EHRAC Director, Prof Philip Leach, and Senior Lawyer, Jane Gordon, on individual case strategies, to discussion of strategic litigation approaches on a country by country basis. The programme incorporated an interesting talk, as well as a Q & A session with Adrian Arena, Director of the International Human Rights Programme of the grantmaking trust, the Oak Foundation, aimed at giving NGO lawyers a sense of grantor priorities, as well as useful tips on the preparation needed by NGOs prior to meeting with potential donors. The session was also a useful forum for our partner lawyers to hone their networking skills with major donors. LSD participants also had the opportunity to visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to share up to date information on the human rights situation, discuss latest developments and highlight concerns in their respective countries with desk officers and senior analysts of the Russia Team and the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate.
The participants had extremely positive feedback about the LSD programme. All the participants praised the quality of the trainers and speakers, the content of the sessions and meetings, and the materials/handouts provided. Feedback included:
“This event was perfect both in form and content.”
“Although we had previously communicated via email, face-to-face discussion of cases and of future strategy is always very useful and much needed.”
“I liked the interest that the FCO showed in the information we gave them about the condition of human rights in our country. We will be very glad if they will be using this information in their work.”
“The session with the Oak Foundation was very interesting in terms of getting to know the funders, their position and/or opinions when deciding on funding NGO activities, how they assess the work of NGOs, and what is essential for them.”
“These kinds of seminars are very important and they should be regularly conducted if possible. Thanks to the speakers and organisers for making this happen!”
Russian, Georgian and Azeri lawyers discuss strategic litigation approaches with EHRAC experts on the first day of the LSD programme.
Participants meet with Adrian Arena of the Oak Foundation.
Participants visit the FCO.
