Legal Ethics Chair
The Project is implemented with the support of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) within the framework of East-West Management Institute’s (EWMI) Rule of Law Program.
Project Activities
Upcoming
Develop and Share a Course on Legal Ethics
The Course will be a semester in length and be designed to teach bachelor students the rules of professional conduct, laws, and standards of legal ethics under Georgian as well as international legislation and practice. The Course will cover GBA ethics, judicial ethics, and prosecutors’ ethics, the Course might comprise other relevant professional ethics, i.e. notary ethics, police ethics, mediators’ ethics, etc. The methods used throughout the Course will involve a mixture of lecturing, individual exercises and small group activities, presentations and discussions. The following materials will be developed and assembled for the Course: syllabus, case-based exercises, background reading, actual domestic and international cases, case briefs, key statutory and role-playing exercises.
In addition, the Teacher’s Manual will be developed to accompany the Course on Legal Ethics. The Teacher’s Manual will provide detailed lesson guidance for teaching the Course.
Organize a National Moot Court on Legal Ethics
The purpose of the Moot Court is to raise the legal ethics awareness among the Georgian law students, as well as to provide an opportunity for them to develop and display their knowledge and skills of professional responsibility in a simulated atmosphere. The moot court will be held in Georgian, once in a year.
The moot court will include a training component for students to make sure that all participants have the basic knowledge and skills needed to engage in the moot court.
Engage in research and writing
The Chair will engage in research and writing on legal ethics issues. For research and writing the actual legal ethics topics will be picked up and developed. At least three articles will be published in the framework of the project.
The Chair will ensure active participation of the students working at the NVU Legal Aid Clinic, as well as other interested students in the process of research and writing. Their works will be published on the legal ethics online platform elaborated within the framework of the Project.
In addition, the Chair will identify the most important/actual legal ethics question, will elaborate hypothetical examples/cases and submitted to the Legal Ethics Commission. The results/answers received from the Commission will be published on the legal ethics platform and will become easily accessible for the wide public.
Add legal ethics direction to New Vision University Legal Aid Clinic
Since July 2014, the New Vision University Legal Aid Center ensures the teaching of understanding the wide range of legal issues and selection of efficient solutions for common problems of the society - a student “studies by doing”, is the basis of mastering the components of academic practice within bachelor and master’s programs in law.
In the framework of the project a new, Legal Ethics direction will be added to the NVU Legal Aid Clinic. It will provide free of charge legal service for individuals affected by the violation of legal ethics norms (GBA’s Ethics, judicial ethics, and prosecutors’ ethics, as well as other relevant professional ethics, i.e. notary ethics, police ethics, mediators’ ethics, etc.). The priority will be given to the cases, with the elements of discrimination (especially discrimination on the grounds of nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity) as well as clients with social needs.
In order, the individuals from the regions to access to mentioned services the online consultation will be established/provided.
Completed Activities
Create an online platform on legal ethics
The platform will be created on the basis of the existing New Vision University webpage (www.newvision.ge).
Annual Legal Ethics Conference
The main aim of the annual legal ethics conference is to get together the representatives of the legal profession in order to share experience related to the legal ethics, as well as to get new information. One Conference will be held during the life of the project.
Public Lectures
The main aim of the public lectures is to raise legal ethics awareness among the law students, as well as other interested individuals. 3 public lectures will be organized during the life of the project, inviting prominent experts of the field to talk about the most problematic and actual legal ethics topics.
Other Activities
Other activities planned within the framework of the Project is to participate in public events in order to raise legal ethics awareness and build strategic partnerships to achieve the project goals
