Selected Other Countries' "Initial Requests" to the U.S. Regarding Legal Services
According to the Doha Declaration, WTO Member States agreed to endeavor to submit their "initial requests" by June 30, 2002. In a "request," a country asks for additional liberalization for its "outbound" lawyers. The "Initial Requests" listed below were directred to the U.S. These "requests" identify the additional liberalization of U.S. rules regulating foreign lawyers that these countries seek for their "outbound" U.S.-bound lawyers. Many countries treated these "initial requests" as confidential, government-to-government communications. Thus, few are publicly available.
- Public Citizen's Posting of the Leaked Summary of the Requests to the U.S. (general requests begin on p. 1, requests regarding business services, which includes legal services, are listed on pp. 3-9; state-specific requests are listed alphabetically and begin on p. 35)
- European Union's "Initial Request" to U.S.
- CSI Paper Analyzing Legal Services Proposals (Submitted in 2000)
Selected Other Countries' "Initial Offers" Regarding Legal Services
According to the Doha Declaration, WTO Member States agreed to endeavor to submit their "initial offers" by March 31, 2003. In an "offer," a country indicates what rules it will "offer" for foreign lawyers "inbound" to that jurisdiction. Many countries have now publicized their "Initial Offers."
- Australia's Initial Offer Regarding Legal Services
- Summary of European Union's Initial Offer
- European Union's Initial Offer
- Japan's Initial Offer
- Links to Countries' Initial Doha Offers (many submitted in May 2003 and many submitted in May 2005)
- Links to Countries' Revised Doha Offers (many submitted in May 2005)
- Summary of Derestricted Legal Services Offers Prepared by Minter Ellison (April 26, 2006)