ABA Abroad

Justice in Action: With ABA support, Colombia drafts a declaration of judicial ethics

For several years, the American Bar Association's Rule of Law Initiative implemented programs in Colombia to improve the capacity of judges and court personnel, combat human trafficking cases and public corruption, strengthen judicial practice in rural areas, further migrant integration and citizen security, and support environmental defenders in the Amazon region. These programs were funded by the United States government through its Department of State.

Sep 10, 2025 9:08 AM CDT

ABA Rule of Law Initiative receives International Association of Judges Judicial Independence Award

In 80 countries around the world over the past 30 years, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ROLI) has worked with lawyers, judges and civil society to promote the rule of law.

Dec 23, 2024 8:48 AM CST

The ABA is working to help Afghan refugees, and so can you

As the United States was completing the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan in August, the American Bar Association began working to address the needs of Afghans. At first, this assistance came in the form of volunteer ABA members and staff preparing recommendation letters for evacuating Afghans seeking Special Immigration Visas. Simultaneously, individual ABA members and staff were preparing to provide pro bono legal assistance.

Feb 10, 2022 9:45 AM CST

Advocating for human rights for workers around the world is part of the ABA’s mission

Next time you put on that top fashion-brand garment made in Bangladesh, consider the workers who produced it. Are they still alive, despite wages below poverty level and unsafe working conditions? Or have some been killed or injured in a factory collapse or fire, or in an attempt to strike…

Sep 14, 2021 4:00 PM CDT

Indian scholar’s release from detention shows importance of international human rights work

As a member of the ABA Center for Human Rights team, Waris Husain has the privilege of helping those on the front line of justice across Asia. One recent case highlights CHR’s ability to take immediate action to assist a justice defender in danger.

Jul 30, 2020 1:20 PM CDT

In advancing dignity rights, the ABA has a unique potential to change the world

“While lawyers do indispensable work throughout the human rights community, as I hoped to do, it is something else again for the entire legal profession, as represented by the ABA, to advocate human rights. That was power.”

Jul 7, 2020 9:04 AM CDT

How are the ABA’s international ROLI programs adjusting to a global pandemic?

Communities around the world are reeling from the repercussions of the novel coronavirus pandemic and measures taken to contain it. Democratic backsliding threatens to derail significant development gains we have witnessed that have provided fair and equitable access to justice and measures to build accountable and inclusive justice institutions. Immediate…

May 28, 2020 11:24 AM CDT

Now more than ever, human rights defenders must be released from detention

In the interest of flattening the COVID-19 curve, upholding the fundamental rights of detainees and enhancing national security, human rights defenders arbitrarily detained for their legitimate rights work should be released. As the world comes to terms with the declaration by the World Health Organization of COVID-19 as a global…

Apr 16, 2020 3:54 PM CDT

TrialWatch volunteers are helping secure human rights around the globe

TrialWatch is a global initiative established by the Clooney Foundation for Justice that monitors trials in which there appears to be a risk of fair trial violations.

Feb 13, 2020 4:57 PM CST

An American judge gets a look at the rule of law in Georgia

More than 7,100 miles away from the Torrance Courthouse in the Superior Court of California where I am the supervising judge, I found myself in a conference room in Tbilisi, Georgia, standing before judges, prosecutors and lawyers of the Georgian Bar, fielding judicial ethics questions that clearly had more local…

Dec 19, 2019 4:02 PM CST

The case for the International Criminal Court: Why it deserves our support

Like many post-World War II global institutions in today’s political climate, the International Criminal Court can feel disconnected from the ideals and optimism that created it as the world’s only permanent international tribunal with jurisdiction over genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. But my work supporting international criminal justice…

Nov 27, 2019 2:55 PM CST

How can social media companies identify and respond to threats against human rights defenders?

The promise of greater connection and community in the digital age has been defended by human rights activists around the world. Unfortunately, social media platforms are now a primary tool for coordinated, state-aligned actors to harass, threaten and undermine advocates.

Oct 3, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Making the global case for climate rule of law

In early 2017, after two years as deputy director of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative’s Beijing, China, office and four years managing ROLI’s programs in China, I relocated to ROLI’s Washington, D.C.-based headquarters to expand its global environmental rule of law programs. One such program I have had the…

Sep 5, 2019 4:41 PM CDT

ABA’s rule of law work in Tunisia and Libya ‘more complex, challenging, difficult and rewarding than I ever expected’

As William Hammink has seen as country director of the ABA ROLI offices in Tunisia and Libya, ROLI is more than a team of experts of lawyers and judges. It’s also a dedicated team working together to implement key rule of law and human rights programs.

Jul 25, 2019 4:55 PM CDT

Lawyers and judges are on the front lines of the peace process in Colombia

In 2016, after 50 years of armed conflict, the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (known as FARC) signed a peace agreement. The centerpiece of that agreement was a transitional justice mechanism, established to ensure accountability for atrocities committed during the war. Three years later, it is facing unprecedented challenges in its effort to provide justice for the many civilian victims of the conflict. Lawyers, prosecutors and judges are on the front lines of efforts to provide reparations to the victims, with the long-standing support of the American Bar Association.

Jun 20, 2019 4:45 PM CDT