International Municipal Lawyers Association - Local Government Blog

Report on IMLA Members’ Participation in World Jurist Association’s 24th Biennial Congress in Prague, Czech Republic

Thirteen members of IMLA recently participated in panel presentations at the World Jurist Association’s 24th Biennial Congress on the Law of the World. The WJA Congress was held October 23 – 28, 2011, in the Congress Centre of Prague, Czech Republic, and centered on the international theme “National Legal Cultures in a Globalized World.”

The first panel, “Protecting the Public – Local Law,” featured Robert Alfton who spoke on Labor Law in the Public Sector, Aashish Srivastava who addressed Cyberbullying Laws in Australia, and concluded with a joint presentation by Iris Jones and Patricia Lynch, who discussed the Need for a Global Response to Cyberbullying.

The second panel, “Governance in the Public Sector,” featured Phillip Sparkes who addressed The Ethical Obligation of Government Legal Advisors, a joint presentation by Charles W. Thompson, Jr. and Robert N. Hills on Graffiti Vandalism in America – Shaping the Municipal Response, and concluded with a presentation by Susan Moore on Innovation in ADR to Resolve Political Impasses.

The third panel, “Stewardship, Sustainable Use and Development of Land and Resources,” featured Edward Sullivan who discussed Land Use and Forestry Protection, Timothy D. Hollister who addressed Black and White Issues in the Evolution of Green Building Standards, and Benjamin E. Griffith who gave a presentation Fracking for Shale Gas – Energy Security and Sustainable Water
Resources.

The fourth panel adhered to the same overall theme of the third and featured Julian Grant who discussed Ownership and Care of the Beaches and Coastal Regions of the U.S. and the World, Steven R. Meyers who addressed Public Private Partnerships in the Global Economy, and Dwight H. Merriam who gave a presentation on Private Residential Communities – A Cross Cultural Comparison.

THE WJA World Congress was attended by over 350 members and guests representing over 50 nations. Support and staffing was provided by WJA staff, the Czech Bar Association, ICC Paris and National Committees of the region, as well as local law faculties in Prague and Plzen and IMLA.

The diversity of the many panels was matched only by the breadth of the legal topics and issues addressed during the five day Congress.The participation of IMLA members as speakers and presenters at the WJA 24th Biennial Congress signifies the continuation of a rich and meaningful collaboration between IMLA and WJA dating back to over 2 decades.