Young Myanmar lawyers to attend the IBA Annual Conference in Sydney

The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) is delighted to inform that eleven talented young Myanmar lawyers have been selected as recipients of the IBA Developing Bar Programme Award to attend the IBA Annual Conference, which will take place in Sydney, Australia, from 8 to 13 October 2017.

All the lawyers are members of the Independent Lawyers Association of Myanmar (ILAM), which was established with assistance from the IBAHRI.

The IBAHRI wishes to congratulate the Myanmar lawyers selected:

Aye Myat Nandy obtained her Bachelor of Law in 2010 and has since pursued further studies in International Law, Maritime Law, Business Law, and International Relations. She is one of the founders of the Ichiban Law Firm based in Yangon. According to Nandy, attending the IBA Annual Conference provides an opportunity “to learn from the world’s leading practitioners” in many areas of law that are crucial to Myanmar’s development. “Our country is  transitioning to the democratic system, so we need to promote the rule of law and the business sector”, notes Nandy, who also believes that “Myanmar lawyers need to connect with other lawyers” in order to strengthen Myanmar’s development.

Cho Cho Win has been practicing law in Dawei, Tanintharyi Region, since 2012. Since Cho Cho started practicing she has become deeply familiar with the challenges of obtaining justice in Myanmar’s domestic courts and is very interested in finding out how a new generation of lawyers can improve the country’s legal system. Her drive to learn more about how young lawyers could improve Myanmar’s legal system led Cho Cho to join ILAM. Cho Cho feels that attending the IBA Annual Conference is an “opportunity to meet experienced lawyers from all around the world” and gain valuable experience that will strengthen her as a legal professional.

Khin Yupar Kyaw earned her Bachelor of Law in 2008 from the University of Distance Education, Mandalay, in 2008 and her L.L.M. from Yadanabon University in 2009. Khin feels that in order to strengthen the legal profession in Myanmar she needs to “learn more and more and connect with lawyers from different countries”. At the IBA Annual Conference, Khin Yupar expects to “make friends with a lot of lawyers from dozens of countries all over the world” with whom she hopes to share her legal experience as well as learn from them.

Nay Too earned her Bachelor of Law from Yadanabon University in 2009 and is currently a junior partner at K.M. Zaw & Associates. At the IBA Annual Conference, Nay Too is interested in learning a wider range of topics including: law firm management, ethics, rule of law, human rights, and the future of the legal profession.

Nilar Win holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of Mawlamyne and a diploma in Business Law from the University of Yangon. She currently works at the Yangon office of Kelvin Chia, where she focuses on company setup and compliance. Attending the IBA Annual Conference will “strengthen my future career, allow me to contribute new knowledge to my law firm, and enable me to help my community”, says Nilar.

Thant Zaw Toe holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of Distance Education, Yangon, and Diplomas in Maritime Law and Business Law from the University of Yangon. He currently works in-house at two corporations. Attending the IBA Annual Conference is “a superb way to hear from the best lawyers and to learn the most innovative techniques and up-to-date information” and at the same time provides an “excellent opportunity for networking both professionally and socially with lawyers with similar interests from all over the world”, says Zaw.

Thant Zin Kyaw holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of Distance Education, Mandalay. Kyaw believes that attending the IBA’s Annual Conference will help him gain legal knowledge that can help to strengthen Myanmar’s legal sector. “In our country, the status of lawyers is not the same as in more developed countries such as the United States and Western Europe”, says Kyaw, who feels that attending the Conference can help bridge that gap.

Win Nandar graduated with a Bachelor of Law from University of Distance Education, Mandalay, in 2010. She works at the Nyein Law Firm in Mandalay where she has a large pro-bono portfolio that focuses on land-grabbing cases, violence against women, discrimination, and employment. At the IBA Annual Conference she hopes to learn from the experiences of lawyers that have worked on similar cases and overcome challenges like those faced by lawyers in Myanmar. She plans to share her experience and newly-gained knowledge with other members of ILAM, as well as the general public, when she returns.

Aung Nyen earned his Bachelor of Law from University of Distance Education, Yangon, and currently works at Legal House Myanmar Law Firm. In addition to being a member of ILAM, Aung is the founder of the American Center’s Law Study Club and the International Arbitration Club of Myanmar.  At the IBA Annual Conference, Aung is interested in learning more about pro-bono assistance, land rights, and Alternative Dispute Resolution and is looking forward to sharing his knowledge with other members of ILAM when he returns.

Khun Soe Lin Paing earned his Bachelor of Law in 2009 and currently works at the Cherry Legal Group in Taunggyi, Shan State.  At the IBA Annual Conference, Paing hopes to learn how to be more effective and efficient in court and meet legal experts face to face. He feels that the IBA conference will be an excellent platform to learn about the legal profession outside of Myanmar and find new ways to strengthen ILAM.

Lwin Oo earned his Bachelor of Law in 2007 and Diplomas in Maritime Law and Business Law in 2009 and 2010 respectively. Lwin, whose current practice is in civil and criminal litigation, is particularly interested in learning about corporate law and practice at the IBA Annual Conference. “As our country is opening up to foreign direct investment, corporate legal practice is one of the areas that must be developed”, says Lwin.

This incentive is part of an on-going programme devised by the IBA to assist young lawyers and junior members of the legal profession with their professional development in light of international legal practice. For more information about the programme of the IBA Annual Conference 2017 in Sydney, please visit: /Conferences/Sydney2017
 
This will be a life-changing opportunity for all of them, one that will have positive repercussions for the young country’s legal profession.