An exciting project in support of Addis Ababa University Law School is underway in response to the Dean's request for assistance with upgrading the Law School. Although it is Ethiopia’s leading law school, the university and Ethiopia’s legal training system as a whole are suffering due to lack of resources. Support provided by New Perimeter, a non profit affiliate of DLA Piper, will enable the faculty to upgrade its curriculum, increase its research capability, and enhance its role in developing the legal profession. “It’s vital that developing countries such as Ethiopia build a strong legal system for their economic growth,” says Sheldon Krantz, Director of New Perimeter and a DLA Piper Litigation Partner in Washington, DC. “As part of this, they need a better legal education system, and that’s where New Perimeter can help.” Beginning in March, a global team of DLA Piper lawyers started to teach two-week courses to business law students on international economic development subjects. They are also provid ing faculty mentoring and support for planning a law and economic development conference to be hosted by the school. Sheldon hopes it’s a model that can be applied elsewhere in Africa. Two Norwegian lawyers from the law firm DLA Piper Norway DA, Fredrik Lindblom and Anett Kristin Olsen, will in the next few weeks teach at Addis Ababa Law School. “It shows we’re committed to our pro bono work – and the need is endless for this kind of assistance in Africa,” says Sheldon. “We’re working together with the Northwestern University School of Law and consulting firm Accenture, and we are committed to at least two years in Ethiopia. We’ve had some really strong interest – 35 lawyers from across the network have already said they’d like to get involved.” Dean Fikremarkos Merso adds, “We look forward to having DLA Piper lawyers working with us in Addis; they will be filling an urgent need.” DLA Piper Norway DA is regulated by the Norwegian Bar Association and is a member of DLA Piper, a global legal services organisation, the members of which are separate and distinct legal entities. For further information, please refer to www.dlapiper.com or www.newperimeter.com.
Picture: Anett Kristin Olsen