TIRANA, JANUARY 20, 2012     With the support from the USAD’s Albanian Justice Sector Strengthening Project (JuST), the National Chamber of Advocates (NCA) presented to its members today the first issue of Albania’s only professional bar journal, “Avokatia.”  The publication is one of a number of USAID-supported activities designed to help strengthen the professionalism and academic training of Albanian lawyers.

The Bar Journal “Avokatia” is a legal periodical of Albania’s National Chamber of Advocates.  The journal will be published quarterly and distributed nationally among Albania’s 1,500 bar members and to all judges and prosecutors.  USAID helped to establish the Journal’s Board Members, assisted in the publication’s lay-out and formatting, and is financing the first and second issues. The journal is a means of fostering professional debate among Albania’s legal community on case law, as well as on the legal, judicial and doctrinal developments, both at the national and international levels. The bar journal includes academic articles outlining the main principles of Albanian law and other legal matters; gives lawyers a forum to debate newly-approved laws, and provides NCA members with articles discussing the latest decisions of the Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, European Court of Human Rights, and other international courts.

USAID JuST, which began in October 2010, is a five-year project to increase court transparency, fairness and efficiency; bolster watchdog and anticorruption roles of civil society organizations and media; and strengthen the legal profession and legal education in Albania.

In his remarks, USAID/Albania Mission Director, Joseph Williams, underscored the need to ensure respect for the rule of law as an essential element of democratic societies and a prerequisite for Albania to move forward on EU integration. 

“USAID recognizes the important role that attorneys play in the daily struggle to advocate for justice, fairness, and the rule of law,” said Williams in his remarks. “In light of Albania’s aspirations to earn candidate status to join the EU, recognition of the need for reforms in the justice sector has never been higher and the opportunities for you—Albania’s cadre of practicing attorneys and legal professionals—to contribute to this progress has never been of greater or more importance.  The establishment of the Continuing Legal Education Program, now already underway at the regional chambers in Durrës and Vlora, and the publication of “Avokatia” represent concrete steps that will help build the capacity of the legal profession and legal education in Albania.”