Isolated Community Receives its First Legal Clinic
On March 12, 2007, the law school at Azerbaijan’s Naxchivan State University celebrated the opening of its first legal clinic, an activity supported by USAID through the American Bar Association. The implementation of this university-based program serves two important purposes: providing law students with a rare opportunity to hone real-world practice skills and offering free legal services to the residents of the Naxchivan Autonomous Republic.
The establishment of a legal clinic at Naxchivan State University is a significant achievement in the context of Azerbaijan. The first clinic of its kind located outside of the capital, Baku, the clinic will offer much-needed opportunities and services in an isolated region where low-cost representation is otherwise unavailable.
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During the opening ceremony, the rector of Naxchivan State University, Isa Habibbeyli, thanked the American people for their generous contribution to the new legal clinic
Photo Credit: American Bar Association |
Naxchivan State University is located in the Naxchivan Autonomous Republic, a non-contiguous region of Azerbaijan that is separated from the rest of the country by the territory of Armenia. Due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, all borders between Azerbaijan and Armenia are closed. Thus, the residents of Naxchivan wishing to travel elsewhere in Azerbaijan must either do so by air or on an arduous trip through either Iran or Turkey and Georgia. This circumstance has resulted in the relative isolation of the residents of the Autonomous Republic.
Through the clinic curriculum, Naxchivan State University law students will learn practical skills, such as how to interview a client, how to develop a case strategy, and how to prepare documents for submission in court. Further, under the supervision of highly qualified attorneys, the students will apply these skills while working on real cases. Importantly, students will gain experience in the community and will be more likely to continue practicing in Naxchivan after their graduation, reducing brain drain to the capital and improving legal service delivery in the region.
At the opening ceremony, the rector of Naxchivan State University, Isa Habibbeyli, expressed his appreciation to the American people for their generous contributions to the clinic, which included three computers, a copier, office furniture, access to an Azerbaijani legal database, and a two-day technical skills training for clinic professors on interactive teaching. The American Bar Association will coordinate additional trainings in the upcoming months.
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