Hello,

This thread is a little bit out of the usual scope of LLMs...sorry.

For those of you who already had the chance to attend Congresses, you may have noticed that it's quite hard to find your place among "grey-haired" partners. And if you go to younger Congresses, you may find the level a bit disappointing.

Since a couple of years, I have the idea to create an association that would allow young lawyers/academic people who publish from time to time in any field (i.e. interest in the law from an academic perspective, whether corporate, contracts, history, philosophy, public, international) to meet for instance once during "our" Congress.

This forum only reinforced my idea that there are wonderful people everywhere that we'll never have any opportunity to meet (wherever we go) and that such an association at the international level for young people is missing.

I thought that this forum might be a good opportunity for me to give me some ideas about the interest of trying to put up something.

Who has an interest in the academic and would be interested in joining such an association ?

Bitsou,

I'm not sure what you mean by "congress". Do you mean academic conferences? If so, what do you mean by "our congress"? Do you intend to organise a conference? I'm a little lost.

Hi Joseph,

By Congress, I mean the meetings organized for instance by the IBA every year.

My idea for quite a long time would be to create an association gathering young people (less than fourty for instance) who have an interest in the academic and would like to have the opportunity to meet people having the same intellectual interests for law. Every member of the association would pay a yearly fee, and would meet once a year at a given place to lecture on certain current topics in our respective fields (for instance at the University of the President for that given year if there's a new elected President every year). That's just a quick thought...but you see the idea ?

OK, Bitsou. I think I see what you mean (although it was my understanding that the IBA has an annual conference but let's leave nomenclature aside).

I'm certainly interested in discussing the idea further, though.

Hi,
I am interested in your idea and i know a lot of people from Brazil who are interested in that issue as well.
Can you tell me a little bit more of it?
Where you from?
What university did you attend to?
Best Regards,
J. P.

Ok, I find the idea interesting and stimulating. My area of interest is IT/IP law, as yours if I haven't misunderstood. I'm Italian, where I also collaborate with the IT law department at the Univ. of Milan and I'll be in Duke to focus on IP, Science & Technology next year. I've already spent a couple of years in Scotalnd doing an LL.M. at Strathclyde under the supervision of Ian Lloyd, u know him I guess, so I have a good network of people certainly willing to participate almost all over Europe and all in their thirty, particularly in Greece, Germany and France. Some people of high profile, I'm thinking about, are also from India and Malaysia.
If your intentions are concrete, I'd be happy to participate. Let's set up a web site as virtual home of the project with a forum and a mailing list, contact people, wait for comments and, then, shape the structure and the scope of the association (is it something like that u would like to create? or do u have in mind another form of community? a foundation maybe? as for me I believe that strict forms are to avoid and a flexible virtual community able to operate externally too is the solution...)
Keep in touch. If u like I will post to you in PT my personal email (better privacy paranoia, than "privacy myopia", Froomkin teaches us)

Gian

Hi,
Thanks for your support. Yes, this is indeed the idea.

However, I first of all want to have an idea of the interest raised by this possible association on this forum. If people doing an LLM are not interested in, I guess it will be difficult to put something in place that could have a future.

For the time being, I consider the interest to close to null...

Besides, the idea I had was to create an association with an academic orientation, i.e. young people who publish from time to time at least, as others associations already exist for young lawyers (AIJA). I thought that if there were enough people interested in, everybody could use the year spent in his/her Law School to try and see if people would like to join in. But I'm fairly reluctant to spend time and efforts to build something up for the time being...too little interest I guess.

Hi Bitsou, I might be interested in joining, I am in the academic field. I understand that it would take some work to implement.... but please keep me informed if it does come through. THX

I thank you Bitsou, for the idea that you raise is very exciting and you shouldnt lose heart so soon! (Hi Joseph1, jpscalzilli, bucefalo, LB)

To set up a structure that will survive past the end of our one year program seems quite challenging, but I guess this isnt impossible.
I am personally leaning towards a lawyers career but would be particularly interested in an academic oriented association, and to build it even more! Lawyers as well as academics love legal reasoning for itself, and its more than likely that many LLM students will take interest in an organization involved in more theoretical issues than the AIJA. Its actually striking to see how many young lawyers and judges teach classes in law universities. It cant only be for glory, some of them must be sincerely interested! ;-)
Anyway, I was involved in several law students associations in France and should be able to contact interested / interesting people.
This would really be a great plan and you could definitely count me in!

Tell us what you think, and well keep in touch.

URGENT
Hi, everybody. I am sorry but, lets continue this thesis in "general" section of this site. Because the name is more related to general questions.........And for example me, gave my suggestions to all who want to be involved in organization of our still virtual "Congress" in section "GENERAL"........Idea is great but lets deside.......(look in section "general" )

Bitsou, I think there may be more people in this board who are interested in the idea of an new international association or network for young lawyers. I think it would be great to meet and to keep in touch with other LLMs.

Kem, I guess we should continue this discussion in the USA section of the board because it has much more visitors than the general section. If there are enough other people interested in this, we could also ask whether we could have a new section for this in the LLM board.

Hey Bitsou,

I think it is a wonderful Idea. This has been on my mind for some time too.. I run a student organisation called the Law Students Association of India, Bangalore.. We started out as an 8 people movement and now we are spread across the country. One of our important publications is the 'Sinai', which has academic contributions in all fields from law students, Lawyers and legal academicia from all over the world.

Sinai helped us build association with the legal fraternity across borders.

I would be interested in joining the organisation and LSAI would definately be interested in being an affiliate of this organisation in India.

We can start with something informal and then allow it to grow into a larger movement.

Hello everyone,

Ok, thanks for this sudden move, it might be worth still thinking about it.

I actually had put the thread in "General" as well, but as Arnaud put it correctly, much more people look at the US section, which explains its presence here.

I actually already have a bit of experience by creating local association (in the arbitration field this time), and I know you need a real interest to make things work, which explains my doubts.

For the time being, people interested are:
1. Joseph: sorry, but I don't remember where you're from :) ?
2. bucefalo: Italy
3. jpscalzilli: brazil
4. legallyblonde: where r u from ?
5. tom_france: sorry also, but same as Joseph, I don't remember :)
6. Kem: hello, where r u from ?
7. Arnaud: somewhere in europe I guess, but where :)
8. MSK: India

I have connections in France, Germany and the Maghreb countries. We miss Asia... I'll try and see if future LLM students at Yale are interested...I guess they should, otherwise it's disappointing.

I suggest that you give me your private e-mails. I'll try and start a group at yahoo and explain you in more details the way I see things (but once again, for the time being, it's still vague).

Kind Regards to all

I'm from...........France! ;-)

tom_france --> are you really from France?! :-)

Bitsou, I am also interested in your project. I'm from Luxembourg. I know it's a small country, but there is no such Association whatsoever and no real possibility to publish for young academics/lawyers.. I have been talking about this with friends, and we were thinking about starting something like that after our LLM. Integrating this in an international network would be even more interesting!

Dear Bitsou,

Why am I not surprised that you are initiating so much activity on the forum? :))) That is wonderful. Unfortunately, there are not so many people that are ready to do so much good for the sake of others.

Although I am not too much into academics myself, I would love to take part in this wonderful activity. As a member of the National Postgraduate Civil Law Society and the Civil Law Club of Moscow State University Law School I would be happy to inform my fellow friends (interested parties) about your initiative and find a representative for the planned association here in Moscow. I think that you already have my e-mail.

Hi, Bitsou, as usual, you have great ideas :)) As you may remember, I'm Ukrainian and I'm doing a Ph.D. in a French university.. So I have also some academic interests. I would be happy to join your project.

Hi everyone!
Bitsou, your idea is wonderful. I'm from Brasil and very interested in your project. This is a great wy to meet LLM students and lawyers from different countries.
Count with me.
Varnieri

Sounds like an interesting idea, and one I could be interested in helping through it's formative stages.

Have you seen the following two websites?

http://www.elsa.org/ - claims to be the world's largest law students association (which sounds similar to what you are talking about, though I may have misunderstood)

There is also http://www.ilsa.org/about/index.shtml, which I assume to be smaller than ELSA.

Hope this is relevant.

I also find the idea very interesting,and I would like to participate,(and I am interested in the academic).
I have done some research on some websites that one can publish their work.However,something more specific like this,an association of young professionals with an academic orientation would assist all interested in various ways.I think it is a great initiative,and I d definitely join!