Practical Approaches to Strengthening Judicial Institutions

A Justice Sector Training, Research and Coordination Symposium Convened by the Rule of Law Collaborative at the University of South Carolina in coordination with The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars This public symposium will bring together policymakers, scholars, and practitioners to examine practical interventions that can strengthen judicial institutions. The symposium’s keynote speaker, the Honorable Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Former Pakistan Supreme Court Chief Justice, will discuss the challenges of maintaining judicial independence and integrity in the face of political and social pressures. The symposium will also include three interactive panels, focused on judicial independence, judicial integrity, and the role of civil society in strengthening judicial institutions. Speakers will provide lessons learned from both donor and implementation perspectives, and some will have the unique perspective of operating inside the judiciary. A networking lunch is also scheduled. 

The event includes lunch and refreshments, and is free and open to the public - please register here: http://justrac.org/training-symposia/practical-approaches-to-strengthening-judicial-institutions/. 

Program 8:15 – 9:00 Networking and Registration 9:00 – 9:15 Welcoming Remarks
Will Pomeranz, Deputy Director, Kennan Institute, The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Joel Samuels, Director, Rule of Law Collaborative, University of South Carolina 9:15 – 11:00 Session I: Judicial Independence
Suren Avanesyan, Moderator, Senior Advisor, USAID
Honorable Vicki Miles-LaGrange, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, W.D. Oklahoma
Inga Todria, Director, Judicial Legislative and Policy Reform (USAID-PROLOG) and former Chief Judge for Georgian Court of Appeals, Tbilisi
Jan van Zyl Smit, Associate Senior Research Fellow, Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law 11:00 – 11:15 Break 11:15 – 1:00 Session II: Judicial Integrity
Elizabeth Anderson, Moderator, Director, ABA Rule of Law Initiative
Peter Ainsworth, Senior Anti-Corruption Counsel, DOJ
Oliver Stolpe, Senior Programme Officer, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Honorable Richard D. Bennett, Judge, U.S. District Court, D. Maryland 13:00 – 14:00 Lunch 14:00 – 15:45 Session III: Comprehensive Approaches to Judicial Strengthening
Greg Gisvold, Moderator, Director, Governance and Rule of Law, Democracy International, Inc.
Evelyn Edroma, Policy Specialist, Rule of Law, Justice and Security, UNDP
Scott Fulton, President, Environmental Law Institute and former General Counsel for U.S. EPA
Malcolm L. Russel-Einhorn, Senior Fellow, Center for Peace, Democracy and Development, UMass Boston 15:45 – 16:30 Keynote Speaker Address and Q&A
Honorable Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Former Chief Justice, Pakistan Supreme Court 16:30 – 16:45 Closing Remarks