History

Association of Lawyers of Russia was established as a result of merging the Russian Union of Lawyers and Union of Lawyers of Russia.

In early april 2005, President of the Russian Union of Lawyers, Chairman of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation Sergey Stepashin, Legal Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation Veniamin Yakovlev, Minister of Justice Yuri Chayka and President of the Union of Lawyers of Russia, Rector of the Kutafin Moscow State Law Academy (currently: MSAL) Oleg Kutafin held a meeting, which resulted in the signing of the joint letter to the President. The letter outlined the need and purposes of establishing the association.

Later Sergey Stepashin had a meeting with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, who approved the proposal on consolidation of two unions and entrusted to the Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Dmitry Medvedev to support this initiative.

The first organising committee meeting took place on 27 june 2005 at the Accounts Chamber of Russia and led to the establishment of the All-Russian Non‑Governmental Organisation “Association of Lawyers of Russia”.

The Founding Congress of the Association was held in the Column Hall of the House of Unions on 22 december 2005 and was attended by 725 participants – representatives of all the subjects of the russian federation. It was decided to create the All-Russian Non‑Governmental Organisation “Association of Lawyers of Russia” and approved the main activities and Charter of the Association.

The Association works actively in the following spheres:

  • Public expertise of bills including anticorruption expertise of statutory instruments;
  • Improving the quality of legal education, such as by conducting public accreditation of higher education law institutions;
  • Free legal assistance for population;
  • Organising and holding scientific and practical conferences of different levels including international conferences;
  • Legal education and propaganda of law, in particular in the mass media;
  • Holding the Highest Legal Award “Lawyer of the Year”.