The ABA Rule of Law Initiative launched its program in Belarus in 1992 with the placement of its first rule of law liaison in the capital city of Minsk. The office closed in spring 2006 because of problems with local registration.
During this time period, the American Bar Association worked on several projects including training media law lawyers to defend the independent press from politically motivated attacks by the government; raising awareness of citizen's rights by co-sponsoring legal literacy programs nationwide; and training lawyers working in legal advice centers to provide effective representation to union members and the general public.