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CEELI Institute Prague November 2014 Newsletter
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 JUNE 2015
ABA/CEELI
The 25th Anniversary Reunion!


This summer, the CEELI Institute and the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) will join together for a very special meeting in Prague, at the Villa Grebovka, on June 27-29, 2015. The festivities will mark the 25th anniversary of the creation of original American Bar Association/Central and East European Law Initiative (ABA/CEELI) project in 1990--the forerunner for both of our organizations.  The meeting also marks the 15th anniversary of the creation of the CEELI Institute.  The occasion will bring together many CEELI and ROLI alumni, and others who have been prominent supporters of our efforts. This 25th anniversary event offers an ideal moment for reflection and stock taking on the progress in implementing the rule of law, both in this region and around the globe, as well as opportunity to look at the many lessons learned from the CEELI experience. PLEASE JOIN US: CEELI 25th Anniversary Reunion!
CEELI Conducts Third Annual Anti-Corruption Training Program in Prague: 
 
The CEELI Institute held its third annual Anti-Corruption Training Program, “Investigating and Prosecuting Official Corruption” for a capacity audience from May 11-15, 2015 at the Villa Grebovka in Prague. The program, a signature event for the Institute, brought together investigators and prosecutors from Armenia, Georgia, Kosovo, Liberia, Moldova, Slovakia, Tunisia, and Ukraine. Participants partook in a highly interactive training program designed to walk them through the actual investigation of a case involving official corruption.  Participants worked in small groups to develop their own investigation strategy, learning to use time tested investigative tools along the way, and ultimately making a recommendation to the larger conference on whether this was a case they would pursue to prosecution. The course is designed to develop and improve practical skills, augmented by expert guidance and instruction.  This year’s keynote speaker was Dragos Kos, Chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery, who led an impressive faculty of anti-corruption experts and practitioners, including Homer Moyer, Miller & Chevalier, Washington, Susan Ringler, Vice President and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at Alcoa, Andrew Levchuk, a former federal prosecutor, Denise Messemer, Director of the Foreign Services Practice of PwC, and Jean-Michel Ferat, Managing Director, The Claro Group, Washington D.C.
Given the high demand for this program, the CEELI Institute is  planning to repeat its program, “Investigating and Prosecuting Official Corruption” again this year, from November 2-6, 2015, at the Villa Grebovka in Prague. Registration for the November 2015 course is now open. More information can be found on our website at CEELI Anti-Corruption Training Program Information.
CEELI Announces Its New In-House Development Director - Jen Gaspar 

 
The CEELI Institute is thrilled to announce the addition to our staff of our new Development Director, Jen Gaspar.  Jen has more than 15 years of experience in NGO management and development, including 13 years working in Russia, Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union. She was as a long-term consultant to the Oak Foundation´s International Human Rights Program managing the foundation’s portfolio of human rights grants in Russia. She worked with NGOs and foundations providing donor advice, technical assistance and development strategy. Jen holds a BA in International Affairs from the George Washington University and an MA in Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco. She was a Fulbright Scholar in Hungary, and previously served as Executive Director of the Fund for International Nonprofit Development.  Jen brings a wealth of experience, and the Institute is excited to welcome her to our team.

 
Media and the Law: CEELI Conducts Workshop for Ukrainian Lawyers 

Despite the reforms of the past year, Ukrainian journalists and bloggers continue to suffer from a variety of legal and governmental restrictions on their activities.  To address these concerns, the CEELI Institute organized a workshop on “Media and Law: Legislation, Regulation and Whistleblower Defense” for Ukrainian lawyers active in defending media, journalists, and bloggers.  The four day program in early April included 25 participants from across the Ukrainian regions, as well as a diverse faculty from Russia, Ukraine, the US and the Czech Republic. Participants also had the opportunity to visit the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty headquarters in Prague, where they met with the deputy director of the Ukrainian service. The workshop addressed challenges faced under current Ukrainian media legislation, with reference to comparative media legislation from other relevant countries. The workshop enabled practitioners to share experiences and challenges from the courtroom, as well as hear from a number of international experts on media legislation. The support and protection provided by Ukrainian lawyers for journalists, bloggers and media in Ukraine is critical to the larger anti-corruption efforts now underway in Ukraine, and will ultimately contribute to creation of more transparent and well-functioning public institutions in this critical phase for Ukraine.
Looking Ahead
 
Spring has been an exciting time for the CEELI Institute; Further upcoming events in May and June include:

Tunisia Anti-Corruption Training: Tunis, June 10-12

Central & Eastern European Judicial Network Roundtable: “Balancing Judicial Independence and Accountability” Prague, June 6-7

Lawyering in a Democratic Society: Training for Young Lawyers, Pathein and Taunggyi, Myanamar, May 22-30
Note from Executive Director Christopher Lehmann
We are thrilled to be hosting the 25th anniversary reunion American Bar Association/Central and East European Law Initiative (ABA/CEELI) at the Institute this summer.  It promises to be a very special event.  The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) will join with us in this celebration of the creation of the original CEELI project in 1990.
 
We hope that many of you can join us for this special series of events in Prague, as we look back on a quarter century of Rule of Law efforts, and look forward to the challenges that remain.  
 
This 25th anniversary event offers an ideal moment for reflection and stock taking on the extent to which the Rule of Law has taken hold in this region. As we know well, enormous challenges remain. Twenty-five years after overthrowing totalitarian regimes, portions of central and eastern Europe still struggle with limits to judicial independence, crack-downs on civil society, and the destabilizing effects of uncontrolled corruption, to name just a few of the ways in which democratic values and the rule of law are under seige.  In many ways, the need for efforts to advance the rule of law is as urgent now as it was at the beginning. 
 
I encourage you to mark your calendars for this Reunion event—it will be held in Prague, at the Villa, on June 28-29.  We look forward to bringing together a diverse cross section academicians, government officials and experts, as well as our board members, partners, friends and alumni to discuss the most pressing issues we face in our efforts to advance the Rule of Law in ever more challenging environments.
 
Christopher Lehmann
Executive Director
CEELI Institute
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