Recently China-Mekong Law Center (CMLC) funded and managed an academic workshop sponsored by Vermont Law School (USA) and the Faculty of Integrated Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University (Thailand) on the subject of "Establishing an Agricultural Legal Studies Program: Training Lawyers to Represent Rural Communities." Three international agriculture law experts (two from Vermont Law School and one from University of New England (Australia) guided the workshop participants toward understanding the key components that go into developing a successful agriculture legal studies program. In turn, local academics from throughout the Greater Mekong Subregion, many from universities participating in the CMLC sponsored Mekong Region Law School Consortium , presented papers on various aspects of law and agriculture in Southeast Asia. Consequently the dual purpose of the workshop was acheived: To get regional law schools to consider introducing agriculture legal studies into their curriculum (if not estabishing whole specialty programs on the subject), and to offer young scholars from the Greater Mekong Subregion the opportunity to present on their research in English and share their ideas with regional colleagues.

On average, populations in Greater Mekong Subregion countries are 70% rural, relying significantly on agriculture for their livelihoods. Since CMLC's Mekong Region Legal Studies Program endeavors to train lawyers to represent disadvantaged individuals and communities in the Greater Mekong Subregion, it is imperative that we develop a course on "Agriculture Law: Everything That You Need to Know to Represent Rural Communities." The Workshop takes us one step closer to this goal. Your donation will get us there quicker.

The Workshop Agenda can be found here . Plans are to publish the Workshop Papers as the inaugural edition of the Mekong Region Law Journal .

Inquiries about the CMLC's course and degree program development activities, or CMLC's other programs should be addressed to mitterhoff@chinamekong.org

PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE LEGAL EDUCATION IN ASIA.