CHASING A DREAM
Continued from page 65
the declaration really are. From its
inception, the declaration was criticized in some regions as a statement
of Western notions of human rights,
and that view is still widely held,
said Nasira Iqbal, a retired judge of
the Lahore High Court in Pakistan.
Iqbal defended the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam,
which articulates human rights principles in the context of Shariah, or
Islamic law. The Cairo Declaration
was adopted in 1990 by 45 representatives of the Organization of the
Islamic Conference. Iqbal described
the principles in the Cairo Declaration as complementary to the universal declaration, but some other
speakers suggested that it carved out
a separate approach to human rights
law that is limited by Shariah. “Isn’t
that driving a wedge between those
countries and the rest of the world?”
said Corell.
ABA President H. Thomas Wells
Jr. urged lawyers to play a leading
role in addresssing human rights issues. “As lawyers, and more importantly as independent professionals
that hold governments accountable
under law, we work in the forefront
of developing, protecting and enforcing human rights around the
world,” said Wells, a partner at
Maynard Cooper & Gale in
Birmingham, Ala.
The program was sponsored by
the ABA Section of International
Law in conjunction with the association’s Center for Human Rights,
the New York City bar, the Paris
bar and the Italian bar.
There is reason for optimism
because the declaration created a
foundation for human rights law,
said Jerome J. Shestack of Philadelphia, an ABA past president who
co-chairs the Center for Human
Rights. “The building of the edifice
of law is very important,” he said.
“Law changes habits. People listen to law. Dissenters can use the
law as their road to spur government
into doing things. And, eventually,
the law has an effect.” ■
ABA ANNOUNCEMENTS
DELEGATES-AT-LARGE ELECTION
Pursuant to § 6. 5 of the ABA Constitution, six Delegates-at-Large to the House
of Delegates will be elected at the 2009 Annual Meeting for three-year terms
beginning with the adjournment of that meeting and ending with the adjournment
of the 2012 Annual Meeting. Candidates for election as Delegate-at-Large are to
be nominated by written petition. The deadline for filing nominating petitions for
the 2009 election in Chicago, Illinois, is Friday, May 15, 2009. For rules and procedures on filing petitions, visit ABAJournal.com/magazine.
ELECTION FOR DELEGATE-AT-LARGE VACANCY (2009-2010 TERM)
Due to the resignation of Mark D. Agrast, a Delegate-at-Large vacancy exists. To
fill this vacancy, one Delegate-at-Large to the House of Delegates will be elected
at the 2009 Annual Meeting for a one-year term beginning with the adjournment
of that meeting and ending with the adjournment of the 2010 Annual Meeting.
Candidates for election as Delegate-at-Large are to be nominated by written petition. The deadline for filing nominating petitions for the 2009 vacancy election in
Chicago, Illinois, is Friday, May 15, 2009. For rules and procedures on filing petitions, visit ABAJournal.com/magazine.
CLE PROGRAMS IN JUNE
For information, contact the ABA Service Center at 800-285-2221 or service@
abanet.org, or visit abanet.org/cle.
ABA MEETING DATES
2009—
Annual meeting: July 30-
Aug. 4, Chicago.
2010—
Midyear meeting:
Feb. 3-9, Orlando;
Annual meeting:
Aug. 5-10, San Francisco.
2013—
Midyear meeting:
Feb. 6-12, Dallas;
Annual meeting:
Aug. 8-13, San Francisco.
2011—
Midyear meeting:
Feb. 9-15, Atlanta;
Annual meeting:
Aug. 4-9, Toronto.
2012—
Midyear meeting:
Feb. 8-14, New Orleans;
Annual meeting:
Aug. 2-7, Chicago.
2014—
Midyear meeting: TBA;
Annual meeting:
Aug. 7-12, Boston.
2015—
Midyear meeting: TBA;
Annual meeting:
July 30-Aug. 4, Chicago.
