October 2010

In September, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) program in Tunisia held a workshop on lawyer-client relations. Part of ABA ROLI’s continuing legal education (CLE) program, the workshop was hosted in partnership with the Tunisian Bar Association. While more than 100 young lawyers applied, only 31 of them were able to attend the two-day training due to space limitations.

Thomas Edmonds, a former executive director of the Virginia State Bar, and Thomas Guernsey, president and dean of Albany Law School, led the workshop, which was designed to improve the participants’ client interviewing and counseling skills. Discussions also addressed the responsibilities of lawyers to their clients, attorney-client privilege and confidentiality.

Participants expressed their interest in further CLE opportunities. The president of the Tunisian Bar Association said he will continue to work with ABA ROLI to enhance the legal profession in Tunisia. The United States Embassy in Tunisia and the U.S. Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative supported the event.

To learn more about our work in Tunisia, contact the ABA Rule of Law Initiative at <rol@staff.abanet.org>.