Kosovo Sends Delegates to ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco

09.06.2007

A delegation of Kosovo judges and attorneys attended the ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco in August 2007.  The delegation included Judge Rexhep Haxhimusa, President of the Kosovo Supreme Court and Judicial Council, Judge Ymer Huruglica, President of the Kosovo Judges Association (KJA), Halit Muharremi, Director of Kosovo Judicial Council Secretariat, Mr. Rame Gashi, President of the Kosovo Chamber of Advocates (KCA) and Ms. Gjylizare Selimi, a lawyer from the KCA.  

In addition to attending the planned events of the conference, the Kosovo delegation also had an opportunity to meet again with two former ABA presidents: Ms. Martha Barnett and Mr. Michael Greco. Both former ABA presidents previously conducted tours in Kosovo. Mr.  Greco initiated the bench-bar activities in Kosovo in 2005 and now this project is one of the most successful ongoing projects in Kosovo.  Ms.  Barnett, in addition to taking part in the Bench-Bar Conference, co-presided with U.S. Chief of Mission Tina Kaidanow, over the first gathering of women in the legal profession in Kosovo in June 2007, organized by ABA ROLI jointly with the KCA and University of Pristina Law Faculty.

The President of KCA Mr. Gashi also met with ABA Rule of Law Initiative officials, including Europe and Eurasia Director Rob Leventhal. Mr. Gashi discussed the positive developments in the KCA with regard to the attorney discipline system, gender and minority work and the bench-bar program, all of which are ABA ROLI-supported projects, and he stressed the need for continuing assistance.

KJA President Ymer Huruglica stated, “I was impressed how the conference was perfectly organized.” He felt that his experiences would benefit him in the practice of his profession, and continued, “I consider of special importance the rule of law and the creation of conditions for an independent justice system.“