The 2015 General Assembly Meeting and Conference Programme of ELFA (European Law Faculties Association) was held at Yeditepe University Faculty of Law on the 16-19 April 2015. More than 200 deans of faculties of law, law professors and high level administrative representatives from 103 universities across 35 countries attended the meeting. As it is known, ELFA was founded in 1995 as an international platform in order to tackle issues and problems as regards Europe’s faculties of law. Under the leadership of Prof. Kabaalioğlu, ELFA gained a new vision and has acquired a global status.

Istanbul Municipality former Chairman and founder of Yeditepe University Bedrettin Dalan attended the opening reception of ELFA which was performed by Yeditepe University Dean of Faculty of Law Prof. Haluk Kabaalioğlu. Prof. Haluk Kabaalioğlu and Gronigen University Professor of EU Law and ELFA First Vice President Prof. Laurence Gormley made opening remarks at the reception.

ELFA Conference which started with the opening speech of Yeditepe University Rector Prof. Nurcan Baç continued with Prof. Haluk Kabaalioğlu’s reading of Bedrettin Dalan’s message to the participants. Following the opening speech of President Prof. Haluk Kabaalioğlu, the panel entitled “The Role of the General Court in the EU Judicial System” started with the presentation of Luxembourg University and EU Plenary Court Chairman Marc Jaeger on the role of the EU judicial system.

Following Mr. Jaeger’s presentation, Beijing University Dean of Faculty of International Law Prof. Philip McConnaughay made a presentation entitled “One Step Ahead of EU and US” where he shared his experiences as regards legal education in China and stressed that China was ahead of the EU and the US in that respect. Following California University Hastings Faculty of Law former Dean and American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Prof. Leo Martinez’s presentation regarding problems of legal professions in the US, Russia’s Kazan Federal University instructor Prof. Ilsur Salikhov made a presentation where he outlined legal education in Russia. Lastly, Western Australia University Dean of Faculty of Law Prof. Erika J. Techera made a presentation entitled “Internationalization and Research Collaboration: An Australian Perspective”.

Three panels were held simultaneously within the framework of the programme. ELFA Vice President and Gronigen University instructor Prof. Laurance Gormley chaired the panel entitled “Challenges for Lawyers with the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Treaty: What is for Legal Profession”. The panel was composed of UNCITRAL and UNIDROIT representative Prof. Henry Gabriel, Kent University instructor Prof. Harm Schepel, St. Etienne University instructor Dr. Vahit Polat amd Dr. Ulaş Gündüzler from the Eastern Mediterranean University of the TRNC.

Barcelona Faculty of Law former Dean and ELFA Vice President Prof. Josep Maria De Dios Marcer chaired the panel entitled “International Double Degrees, Joint and Double Degrees”. Former ELFA President and Strasbourg University instructor Prof. Anne Klebes-Pelissier, Bar of Barcelona Representative Marta Isern, Prof. Erika Techera from Australia and Texas Tech University Health Law Programme Director (which will take over the position of dean at Cincinnati Faculty of Law) Prof. Jennifer Bard made their presentations at the panel.

Yeditepe University Faculty of Law EU Law and Competition Law instructor and judge at the EU Plenary Court Prof. Vilenas Vadapalas made a presentation at the panel entitled “European Criminal Law, Recent Experience and next 10 years”. The panel was chaired by ELFA Member of Board of Directors and Masaryk University Department of Penal Law Instructor Prof. Vera Kalvodova. Furthermore, Prof. Gerhard Fiolka from Fribourg University and Dr. Barış Erman from Yeditepe University made their presentations at the panel.

Prof. Pat Hugg from Loyala University New Orleans chaired and made the opening speech of the panel entitled “Edward Snowden’s Disclosures: Whistleblower, Spy, Patriot or Traitor?” organised by the Southeastern Association of Law Schools of the US. The panel was composed of Prof. Dane Ciolino (Loyola University New Orleans), Prof. Richard Meyer (Mississippi Faculty of Law), Prof. David Ritchie (Mercer Faculty of Law) and Prof. Jon Garon (Shepard Broad Law Center at Nova Southeastern University). Concepts of State, national security and the individual – which are among the topics of discussion at the global level - were examined at the panel by leading legal experts.

At another panel, Judge Irena Wiszniewska-Bialecka and Judge Savvas Papasavvas from the EU Plenary Court evaluated ongoing cases as regards brand and competition law in the EU. Chairman of the Competition Council of the Basque Region of Spain and Deusto University International Law Jean Monnet Chairman Prof. Maria Pilar Canedo and Prof. Patricia Santos Rodriguez from CEU San Pablo University made their presentations respectively. Furthermore, the panel was chaired by Prof. Michele Graziaedi from Torino University who has made numerous analyses as regards competition and brand law.

The program continued on the 18 April 2015 with a panel and ELFA General Assembly Meeting. The conditions of entry to law faculties in Poland, the UK, the US, and the Ukraine were evaluated at the panel. The panel was chaired by Prof. Marek Grzybowski from Warsaw University. Former ELFA President Prof. Jacek Petzel from Warsaw University, Prof. Julian Lonbay from Birmingham University Faculty of Law, Prof. Leo Martinez from California Hastings University and Prof. Oleksiy Kresin from Volodymyr Koretskiy State and Law Institute made their presentations at the panel.

Following the panel, ELFA General Assembly meeting was held. ELFA President Prof. Haluk Kabaalioğlu made the opening speech where he evaluated the activities of ELFA. He explained that there were currently activities in order to strengthen the international recognition of ELFA and that in order to reinforce the coordination between members; ELFA is cooperating with faculties of law outside of Europe.

Afterwards, ELFA Final Declaration which was presented by First Vice President Prof. Laurence Gormley at the General Assembly was approved by a majority of votes.  

Following the approval of the final declaration, Groningen University Instructor and current ELFA First Vice President Prof Laurence Gormley was appointed to the position of ELFA President. Furthermore, Lausanne University Faculty of Law instructor and Director of the Master of Law Programme Prof. Andreas Ziegler was appointed as a member of the new board of directors.

Please click here for further information and pictures on the ELFA General Assembly and Conference.