Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, in connection with others, is pleased to welcome to Houston a delegation of 23 judges from Ecuador as part of the Ecuador Judicial Exchange, a program designed to allow Ecuadorian judges the ability to witness the criminal justice system in the state and federal courts of Texas and the United States. The program will be held from October 22-29. Additionally, Abraham Watkins will be hosting a reception for the Ecuadorian judges on October 27th at our office located in downtown Houston.
As part of the week-long activities, the Ecuadorian judges will observe pre-trial hearings and trials in both state and federal courts. The judges will hear arguments in the state appellate court, meet with prosecutors and judges, as well as local practicing attorneys. The visiting judges will also attend lectures relating to the rule of law, including human rights, ethical issues related to the bench and bar, and the use of alternative dispute resolution for both civil and criminal cases.
The Ecuador Judicial Exchange is made possible through grants to the ABA Rule of Law Initiative by the U.S. State Department. The program was developed with the cooperation of leading private, educational and governmental entities in Houston specifically, and, more broadly, Texas.
The American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative is a non-profit program grounded in the belief that rule of law promotion is the most effective long-term antidote to the most pressing problems facing the world today, including poverty, conflict, endemic corruption and disregard for human rights. ABA ROLI implements legal reform programs in more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and North Africa. ABA ROLI has more than 400 professional staff working around the world, including volunteers who, since the program’s inception, have contributed more than $200 million in pro bono technical legal assistance.