ELSA - The European Law Students' Association

The European Law Students' Association (also known as ELSA) is an international, independent, non-political, non-profit organisation run by and for law students. ELSA-activities comprise a large variety of academic and professional events that are organised to fulfil the vision of ELSA.

History

Five law students from Austria, Hungary, Poland and West Germany founded ELSA on 4th of May 1981. Today ELSA is the world's largest independent law students association and it is represented at nearly 200 law faculties in 42 countries across Europe with membership in excess of 30,000 students and young lawyers.

ELSA-activities comprise a large variety of academic and professional events that are organised to fulfill the vision of ELSA and in order to provide our members opportunities to enhance their skills and to interact with each other.

Identity

Being established in 1981 The European Law Students' Association – ELSA is today the world's largest independent, non-political and non-profit making law students' association comprising membership of in total 30,000 members.

ELSA members are supposed to be open-minded, internationally oriented/targeted and multilingual and may more easily acquire a broader cultural understanding than other law students. The associations aim is to give direct experiences with foreign legal systems and business practices.

ELSA's 200 university-based local groups and 42 national groups as well as the international board are entirely student-managed and administered. Similar to a small franchise, each group creates its own plan of operation in line with the overall goals of the association. Each group recruits and trains its volunteer executives and markets ELSA's programmes to the academic and business community. In combination with the university curriculum, ELSA prepares its members for their future entry into professional life, especially when working in an international environment.

Vision:
"A just world in which there is respect for human dignity and cultural diversity".

Purpose:
"To contribute to legal education, to foster mutual understanding and to promote social responsibility of law students and young lawyers".

Means:

Providing opportunities for law students and young lawyers to learn about other cultures and legal systems in a spirit of critical dialogue and scientific co-operation.
Assisting law students and young lawyers to be internationally minded and professionally skilled.
Encouraging law students and young lawyers to act for the good of society.

During the second half of the 1990ties, the organisation developed significant activities in the field of human rights and international justice, thus contributing to the progressive development of international law and the protection of human dignity. Projects such as the ELSA Law School on Peace in Bosnia Herzegovina (University of Sarajevo, 1995), the Arusha School on International Criminal Law, International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Tanzania, 1995, 1996 and 1998) and the Salzburg Law School on International Criminal Law (University of Salzburg, 1999) attested the impact that ELSA was having in promoting the Rule of Law in the international legal order. At the Rome Diplomatic Conference for the Establishment of an International Criminal Court of the UN (FAO, Rome, 1998), ELSA participated with the largest delegation (over 80 law students and young lawyers) sent by any organisation accredited to that conference (see the Final Act of the Rome Diplomatic Conference).

Institutional relations

ELSA has gained consultative status with several United Nations bodies. In 1994, ELSA was granted Consultative Status in Category C in UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), and in 1997 ELSA obtained Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council). In addition UNCITRAL

UNCITRAL

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law was established by the United Nations General Assembly by its Resolution 2205 of 17 December 1966 "to promote the progressive harmonization and unification of international trade law"....

(United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) is inviting ELSA delegations to participate in their sessions.

In 2000, ELSA was granted Participatory Status with the Council of Europe

Council of Europe

The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...

. This cooperation was further widened with the signing of a Human Rights Partnership between Council of Europe and ELSA in 2008.

Furthermore, ELSA has a co-operation agreement with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). In October 2005, ELSA obtained Observer Status with WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization).

Activities

ELSA's activities fall into three key areas:

Seminars & Conferences (S&C)
- Lectures
- Panel discussions
- Seminars and conferences (both local and international)
- Law schools
- Study visits
- Institutional visits

Academic Activities (AA)
- "Lawyers at Work" (L@W) events
- Study abroad programme
- Legal research group
- Essay competitions
- Moot courts
- International delegations
- ELSA Moot Court Competition

Student Trainee Exchange Programme (STEP)
The Student Trainee Exchange Programme (STEP), makes it possible for law students and young lawyers to gain working experience abroad.
It is a trainee exchange programme that enables law students and young lawyers to gain first hand experience of the substantive and procedural law as well as the culture of another country. The traineeships are between 2 weeks and 2 years and can take place in any law related area; law firms, courts, public institutions, banks, in-house legal departments, consulting firms and international organisations.
Before and during the traineeship, ELSA provides assistance with finding accommodation, applying for visas, when necessary, and organising social events to involve the trainee in the daily life of the local community.

Delegations

ELSA sends delegations to:

United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
- Commission on the Status of Women
- Sub-commission on Human Rights
- Commission for Social Development
- Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
- Session I – Working Group on Procurement
- Session II – Working Group on International Arbitration and Conciliation
- Session III – Working Group on Transport Law
- Session VI – Working Group on Insolvency Law

Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC)

Council of Europe – International Non Governmental Organisations (INGO)

Committees
- Civil Society and Democracy
- Culture, Science and Education
- Human Rights
- Europe and Global Challenges
- Gender Equality

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
- Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR)
- Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP)
- Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT)
- Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP)
- Provisional Committee on Proposals Related to the WIPO Development Agenda (PCDA)

ELSA International

ELSA International consists of the International Board and its Directors and Assistants.

The International Board is the supreme executive body of the association. Its members are elected at the Spring International Council Meeting for a one-year period. The International Board is responsible for the overall co-ordination of the organisation as a whole; including the support of member Groups both locally and nationally, the collection and redistribution of information throughout the network to ensure the fullest participation possible at events.

The International Board also co-ordinates and develops ELSA's collaboration with various international organisations and institutions, governments, law firms and companies across Europe. The Board consists of seven positions being; President, Secretary General, Treasurer, Vice President Academic Activities, Vice President Seminars & Conferences, Vice President Student Trainee Exchange Programme and Vice President Marketing.

The members of the International Board work full-time at the international headquarter in Brussels on a voluntary basis.

Training

ELSA knows its own International Trainers Pool (ITP) and several National Trainers Pools (NTP). The members of the ITP are selected by the International Board after a training week, based on skills and experience. Topics of training are diverse, and include, but are not limited to: General ELSA Knowledge, Project Management, Presentation Skills, Negotiation Skills, Time Management, Communication Skills, Chairing Meetings, Conflict Resolution, Planning, Transition and specific area related trainings.

Members of the ITP conduct their work on a voluntary basis and are therefore not paid. However, the national or local group requesting for a training is supposed to pay for the travel costs and arrange accommodation for the trainer(s).

A training can take from several hours to a whole week. It should be mentioned that it is not possible to give a training on one topic in a few hours. This rather can be called an introduction. Therefore, for more serious trainings, at least a full day or weekend should be reserved.

ELSA Network

ELSA is a unique and growing network of close to 30 000 young people from more than 200 universities in 42 countries across Europe. ELSA currently has members and observers in: Albania

Albania

Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...

, Armenia

Armenia

Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...

, Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...

, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

, Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

, Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

, Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

, Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

, Estonia

Estonia

Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

, Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Georgia

Georgia (country)

Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

, Hungary

Hungary

Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

, Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...

, Latvia

Latvia

Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...

, Lithuania

Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

, Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

, Malta

Malta

Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

, Montenegro

Montenegro

Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...

, the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

, Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

, Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

, Republic of Macedonia

Republic of Macedonia

Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...

, Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

, Russian Federation

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, Serbia

Serbia

Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

, Slovak Republic, Slovenia

Slovenia

Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

, Ukraine

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

and the United Kingdom.   

Furthermore, ELSA co-operates with other student organisations across the world, for instance Asian Law Students' Association in Asia.

Publications

Synergy
Synergy is a biannual publication that is printed in 10,000 copies and distributed throughout the network. It contains articles written by members, academics and institutions. The magazine was first published as a newsletter back in 1987.

Selected Papers on European Law (ELSA SPEL)
ELSA Selected Papers on European Law (ELSA SPEL) provides a compilation of legal papers concerning law with European aspects. ELSA SPEL provides an international readership with a source of literature that rarely finds its way to the regular legal periodicals: High quality papers written by students in the scope of their legal courses as well as academics.

Marraine and patron

Maud de Boer-Buquicchio
Maud de Boer-Buquicchio
Maud de Boer-Buquicchio is a Dutch jurist. She has served as Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe since 2002....

, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
Chang-fa Lo, professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

of Law at National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei, Republic of China . In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Táidà" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan,...

and Member of the WTO Permanent Group of Experts for Subsidies

Partners

ELSA holds several high-profile partnerships, among them CMS Legal, Council of Europe

Council of Europe

, European Voice

European Voice

European Voice is an English language newspaper owned by The Economist Group. The newspaper gives an account of the activities of the key European Union institutions – the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of Ministers...

, Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters Corporation is a provider of information for the world's businesses and professionals and is created by the Thomson Corporation's purchase of Reuters Group on 17 April 2008. Thomson Reuters is headquartered at 3 Times Square, New York City, USA...

, Westlaw

Westlaw

Westlaw is one of the primary online legal research services for lawyers and legal professionals in the United States and is a part of West. In addition, it provides proprietary database services...

, World Trade Institute

World Trade Institute

The World Trade Institute is a center of advanced studies of the University of Bern. It is located in Berne, Switzerland and directed by Professor Thomas Cottier...

and WTO.

External links and references

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