January 3, 2018 – New Perimeter, DLA Piper’s nonprofit affiliate that provides long-term pro bono legal assistance in under-served regions around the world, conducted its fourth training for female lawyers in Nepal. New Perimeter once again partnered with Canadian NGO Women Lawyers Joining Hands (WLJH) and the Nepal Bar Association as a part of an initiative to provide mentorship and continuing legal education to female Nepali lawyers.
The training, held December 14-20, 2018, in Kathmandu, Nepal, was led by a team of DLA Piper lawyers from the US and UK, Canadian lawyers with WLJH, and national lawyers from the Nepal Bar Association. Similar to New Perimeter’s three previous trainings, the program included a course on legal ethics and professional responsibility and corporate and commercial law for a group of 30 women lawyers new to the program. The team provided a second training to women who participated in the program in December 2017, focusing on intellectual property rights and alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration and negotiations skills. Both groups of women received practical business and professional development training and engaged in hands-on exercises to enhance their networking and client development skills.
“It was an honor for our team to collaborate with our project partners to work with another dedicated, driven group of Nepali women lawyers,” said Lisa Dewey, director of New Perimeter. “We were thrilled to see the participants’ enthusiasm, both for the interactive training sessions and for the opportunity to network and to develop professional opportunities and relationships with international and national lawyers.”
The training is part of a larger initiative developed by the Nepal Bar Association and WLJH to provide female lawyers in Nepal with mentorship, ongoing training and financial support to deepen their networks and skills, and provide opportunities for advancement, particularly in the corporate field, and representation on the bench and other prominent roles.
“This workshop is a key part of our efforts to help female Nepali lawyers broaden their legal skillsets, as well as establish relationships with potential mentors,” said Sheri Meyerhoffer, co-founder and chair of WLJH. “We look forward to continuing to work together toward these goals in the future.”
“One of the foundational principles of the Nepal Bar Association is to conduct activities to enhance the capacity of Nepali lawyers. Our partnership with DLA Piper and Women Lawyers Joining Hands has given us the chance to work with lawyers from around the world and advance the careers of our members and develop their professional capacity; this networking has provided an invaluable experience,” said Saroj K Ghimire, National Trainer and Coordinator of the Nepal Women Lawyers International Training. “Each training session has allowed another group of women lawyers to hone their legal abilities and make meaningful connections with their peers, and we were thrilled to play a role in making that happen. We look forward to continuing this partnership with DLA Piper in the years ahead.”
In addition to Dewey, the DLA Piper team that conducted the trainings in Nepal included partners Kristin Franceschi (Baltimore), Robbin Itkin(Los Angeles) and Andrew Valentine (Silicon Valley); legal director Tori Lethaby (Leeds); of counsel Leeanne Mancari; and associates Polly Clarke (London), Colleen McElroy (Los Angeles) and Asha Natarajan (New York). Pro bono counsel Suzanna Brickman (Silicon Valley) managed the project.
