Law Program Success Leads to New Launch
The USAID Attorneys’ Professional Development Initiative (APDI) celebrated its successful completion on September 8 at the Central Military Club in Sofia, Bulgaria. The ceremony also marked the 15th anniversary of the founding of ABA/CEELI and its technical assistance in that country. Additionally, the event served as the formal launch of the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives (BILI), a joint ABA/CEELI and USAID legacy NGO. The program included remarks from Ambassador John Beyrle, former President of the American Bar Association, Robert Grey, ABA/CEELI Bulgaria Country Director, Marc Lassman, President of the Bulgaria Supreme Bar Council, Trayan Markovski, and BILI Managing Board Chair, Bilyana Gyaurova-Wegertseder.
For the past six years, USAID has provided more than four million dollars through APDI for technical assistance to strengthen the professional development of Bulgarian attorneys. Promoting passage of the Attorney’s Act, which introduced a mandatory bar exam and continuing legal educational programs for lawyers, represents one of the program’s notable achievements.
Formed as a legacy of APDI, BILI will strive to continue many of ABA/CEELI’s reforms, while also introducing new initiatives. “Bulgaria is graduating from USAID assistance, but we hope that local organizations such as BILI can continue the important work of making the judicial system more efficient and transparent.” said USAID Mission Director Michael Fritz.
A portion of the ceremony was dedicated to the various accomplishments of the last 15 years, which include the introduction and refinement of a bar examination, institution of mandatory continuing education for lawyers, and the creation of an Attorneys’ Training Center, development and passage of a law on mediation, passage of new regulations requiring practical skills training, development, and support of a number of legal clinical education programs throughout the county.
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| Ambassador Beyrle addresses the participants |
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