Welcome!

   This is the website for the Lithuanian -American Bar Association, Inc. (LABAS), a not-for-profit organization of attorneys working in a variety of activities to promote professional development and the rule of law in the United States and Lithuania. Lithuanian heritage is not a requirement for membership, only an interest in sharing our goals.  Click here to read our full Statement of Purpose.

   LABAS has engaged in several activities with the Vytautas Magnus University School of Law (VMU) in Kaunas, and the Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) in Vilnius (at the site of the former the Law University of Lithuania). Visit our chronology and resource pages to learn more about these activities and materials.

   Here you will also find the listing of our current Board of Directors, information about Membership and a Membership Application, and a Resource Page for related legal sites, documents, and other Lithuanian organizations and sites of interest. Our on-line membership directory provides contact information for many of our law student members and practice areas for our attorney and legal academic members. 

Relationships With
Law Schools in Lithuania

   LABAS actively supports activities with law schools in Lithuania, most recently with the Vytautas Magnus University School of Law (VMU) in Kaunas and the Mykolas Romeris School of Law (MRU) in Vilnius.

   The VMU School of Law has a website in English at teise.vdu.lt and publishes an on-line law review jointly with the Florida Coastal School of Law in cooperation with LABAS, called the International Journal of Baltic Law

   The MRU School of Law hosted the business law conference in June 2003 co-sponsored by LABAS. MRU has a website in English at www.mruni.lt.

Plan to Join Us next Summer 2009
For Our Next Professional Meeting in Vilnius

    LABAS is planning to have its next International professional program in Lithuania in the early summer of 2009, when Vilnius will be busy with many social and cultural events to commemorate the 1,000 year anniversary of its first recorded mention. The Board of Directors is now exploring possible organizational partners and topic areas. If you have thoughts or suggestions, please send an email to Pat Streeter, at pas@patstreeter.com.

 ___________________

2006 Conference in Vilnius a Success

   On July 25-26, 2006, LABAS, together the Center for Public Affairs at Elon University in North Carolina, USA, and the Lithuanian Lawyers Association (Lietuvos teisininku draugija, or LTD), concluded a successful legal professionals’ conference entitled “Lithuania’s Legal System: Trends and Perspectives.” Our delegation consisted of 30 participants and invited speakers. Together with 90 of our Lithuanian colleagues, we heard the Lithuanian point of view on Lithuania’s progress and concerns regarding its court and legislative system. LABAS is grateful to our host for the conference, the U.S. Embassy, which provided us space at The American Center in Old Town Vilnius.

    We were pleased to witness an exceptional standard of debate by participants on: (1) the Lithuanian Constitution in light of recent international agreements (2) the system of pre-trial investigation; (3) the qualification, selection, and ethical performance of legal professionals; and (4) the privacy rights of individuals under investigation. As a result of these thorough discussions, a comprehensive resolution was passed in all four areas. At the conclusion of the conference, the resolution was announced and public comment taken. In the months that followed, the Resolution was finalized into one document in both Lithuanian and English.

   Overall, the conference was a great success. Lawyers from Lithuania, the United States and the United Kingdom were able to share perspectives on Lithuania’s progress on the rule of law. Ultimately, the provision of a forum facilitated an invaluable exchange of ideas between lawyers, with the ultimate goal of ensuring legal excellence in Lithuania.

   Click here to see the Conference Resolution.