In late May, the University of Pittsburgh School of Law launched the Ukrainian Legal Assistance Project to serve as a resource for pro bono legal assistance from the United States and to train Ukrainian lawyers who plan to head back to the country to take the war to the courts.
The Ukrainian Legal Assistance Project is a new scholarship program aimed at supporting Ukrainian lawyers as the war continues. Students will earn an LLM, a master’s degree in law, after completing the 1 year program. More in @PittsburghPG. @CILEPittLaw https://t.co/r2uZvkKpvI
— Pitt Law (@PittLaw) July 5, 2022
This August, three Ukrainian lawyers sponsored by Pitt’s Center for International Legal Education (CILE), are planning to enroll in the international LL.M. program. These students will be assisted by global law firms, nongovernmental organizations and academic peers to provide advocacy and assistance regarding the legal issues arising from the war in Ukraine.
“There’s a web of interrelated laws, treaties and courts that will hold Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine,” said Charles Kotuby, executive director of CILE, which houses the Ukrainian Legal Assistance Project. “The process of rebuilding Ukraine is going to be an enormous undertaking and international law has a big role to play in that process.”
The goal, Kotuby said, is to help them escape the war and become future leaders in the process.
The Ukrainian lawyers will take classes alongside J.D. students and work on pro bono projects ranging from documenting human rights violations connected to Russia’s invasion to advancing legal reforms in their home country.
Kotuby collaborated with the Ukrainian Justice Alliance — a European coalition of lawyers, law firms and non-governmental organizations that is aiding the Ukrainian government and citizens on legal matters — throughout the process.
Pittsburgh is not the only U.S. law school hosting Ukrainian lawyers next year. The University of Miami School of Law and the University of Florida Levin College of Law have created scholarships for a Ukrainian law graduate to attend their LL.M. programs.
https://www.law.pitt.edu/ukraine
https://ukrainejusticealliance.com/who-we-are
