About Us
The International Conference on Legislation and Law Reform is a program of the Capitol Hill Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. It was started in 2013 by a group of attorneys who wanted to create a platform for the exchange of ideas and expertise on how laws are written in the United States and around the world at the international, national, and subnational levels. Over the years, we have brought together a passionate and dedicated international community interested in the drafting and reform of laws.
The organizing committee for the Conference is composed of over a dozen attorneys, hailing from federal and state legislative counsel offices, various government agencies, and private practice. We also count among our organizers esteemed law professors from several law schools across the United States. The organizing committee operates on a 100% volunteer basis.
We hold the Conference in Washington, DC, every 1-2 years. A typical Conference brings together 15-25 renowned speakers and over 100 participants coming from six continents. We also regularly host live webinars on issues of importance in legislation and law reform.
Our Community
Our community of participants includes legislative drafters, legislative staff, agency staff involved in rulemaking, representatives from Congressional liaison offices, attorneys in private practice, attorneys from NGOs and intergovernmental organizations, law reform consultants, judges, academics, and more. We have a truly international community with active participation in our virtual and in-person events from over 60 countries around the world.
Sponsorships
We are able to charge low attendance fees, attract speakers from around the world, and encourage student involvement because of the support of our sponsors. We are proud to count among our previous sponsors multiple chapters and sections of the Federal Bar Association, the International Journal on Legislative Drafting and Law Reform, the International Judicial Academy, the legislative technology companies Xcential and Tallan, and the law firms Latham & Watkins and Baker & McKenzie. We also have hosted cohorts of students from Boston University School of Law and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
Scope of Conference
The Conference presents topics relevant to the creation of laws. This may include legislative procedure, legislative drafting, legislative technology, stakeholder engagement, law reform, implementation of law, interpretation of law, and topics on specific subject matter areas, such as environmental protection or anti-corruption efforts, to the extent they relate to law making and law reform. This scope includes statutes, regulations/secondary legislation, ordinances, treaties, model laws, legislative rules of procedure, court-issued rules, judicial interpretations, advisory opinions, and other forms of lawmaking.
While we encourage scholarship, and aim to provide a venue for published scholarship in the future, we do not require speakers to present published works.
Core Values
The core values of the Conference are as follows:
Furthering democracy and the rule of law. We hope that the Conference will result in the strengthening of societies, governments, and legislatures by encouraging the production of clear, concise, and legally effective laws that are accessible to, and responsive to, the public.
Advancing knowledge. We seek to facilitate an exchange of expertise, provide a venue to discuss innovative ideas, and provide a platform for the presentation of research. We encourage critical thinking about the presentations and strive to provide ample opportunities for our participants to ask questions of and engage with our speakers.
International exchange. We value opportunities for networking and socializing with peers from other countries and consciously make space for such activities in our Conference program.
Diversity and inclusion. We strive for representation at our Conference from all regions of the world, including a balance of nationalities, races, and genders. We recognize the need to provide financial support to attract speakers who would otherwise not be able to attend. We strive to allow world-wide access to our community and programs through low-cost or free virtual options.
Non-partisanship. We welcome speakers from an array of political backgrounds. We do not support the use of the Conference to further any interest group or political party agenda.
Student engagement. Through our student volunteer program and university partnerships, we seek to encourage the engagement of students and to expose them to practice areas related to the creation of laws.
Beneficiaries
We believe that the Conference serves a benefit to all persons involved in law making as a profession, and, ultimately, all persons governed by such laws.