May 2009
A team of three representatives of the Kosovo Chamber of Advocates (KCA)participated in the March 12–14 American Bar Association Bar Leadership Institute (BLI) in Chicago. The BLI is the premier program for developing theskills and substantive grounding for leading a bar association with inspiration, insight and innovation.
Sadije Mjekiqi, Xhevdet Krasniqi and Nebojsa Vlajic, who were the only international delegation at this year’s BLI, said the experience was a great opportunity to learn more about the American Bar Association. Sponsored by the KCA, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative’s (ABA ROLI’s) Kosovo Staff Attorney Vjosa Hasanaj accompanied the group. This year’s BLI was focused on insightful leadership, good governance and effective communications.
“Participation of Kosovo lawyers in the seminar has been a great professional experience,” said Vlajic, a lawyer from Mitrovica. Vlajic said their visit afforded them exposure to the most recent developments in the legal profession. The KCA team was part of the governance mini-plenaries, which were grouped according to the size of the bar associations represented to discuss issues that are most relevant to them. The mini-plenaries and follow up workshops allowed for exchange of best practices the participants can apply intheir work environments. The communication plenary addressed message development and public speaking skills. The KCA members said they will hold workshops to share their experience with colleagues who did not participate inthe BLI to make their experience more beneficial to their association. ABA ROLIhas been working with the KCA on institutional capacity-building since 2000.
To learn more about our work in Kosovo, contact the ABA Rule of Law Initiative at <[email protected]>.