Agns Proton

O
nce upon a time in May 1962, a group of young
lawyers from diferent European countries were
having a nice dinner during a FNUJA
1
annual Con-
gress in Toulouse, in South-western France. They had
already been attending several FNUJA congresses
before, and had since grown up a strong friendship.
By then, they decided to set up their own Interna-
tional Association of (young) Lawyers, instead of
merely remaining others guests. An appointment
was made on July 1st 1962 in Luxembourg for the
Constitutive Founding Assembly meeting, where
they gave birth to the UIJA
2
, soon to become the
AIJA
3
in order to avoid any confusion with the pre-
existing UIA. In 1963 followed the frst AIJA Congress
in Geneva, which turned into an outstanding success
for such a newly born association. AIJA was launched
and from there, success would always be part of the
story.
Future signifcant steps along that path included
the fundamental Declaration of Athens adopted
during the annual congress on August 27th 1966,
which still defnes the main objectives of the As-
sociation: Young Lawyers of every country stand to-
gether. They intend to defend those principles which
are common and which they consider to be indivisible
from the notion of justice and law (article I). During
the celebration of our Associations 50th anniversary,
this Founding Declaration is to be renewed and will
become the Declaration of Paris.
1 Fdration Nationale des Unions de Jeunes Avocats - National
Federation of Young Lawyers Unions (a French Lawyers Union
created in 1947)
2 Union Internationale des Jeunes Avocats - International Union of
Young Lawyers
3 Association Internationale des Jeunes Avocats International
Association of Young Lawyers
In 1976, the AIJA Law Courses were inaugurated
and a turn was made with the frst successful event
across the Atlantic Ocean, in Quebec, where the Past
Presidents Awards were also granted for the frst
time. Since then, AIJA went from international to
global, and spread all over the world on every con-
tinent and in almost 90 countries.
One decade later in 1986 the Lawyers Emergency
Defence Committee was created, defned as the
section of AIJA charged with the responsibility for en-
suring protection of the right of every lawyer to practice
his or her profession freely and the entitlement of every
individual to legal representation and a fair trial.
The frst Voice of the Profession working session, or-
ganised during the Budapest Congress in 2009, had
also undoubtedly marked another fundamental step
in the History of the Association.
Nowadays, the Association counts about three thou-
sand individual members and one hundred national
or international collective members (Bars, Lawyers
Associations and Unions). Its two of cial languages
are English and French.
AIJA organizes over twenty events per year world-
wide, including one annual Congress, two semi-
annual Conferences, and numerous Seminars. The
scientifc work is lead through twenty one special-
ized Commissions covering all areas of Law, among
them prominent highlights are given to Human
Rights and Future of the Profession.
AIJA steers at being the leading international as-
sociation of career-building legal professionals.
Once upon a time in AIJA:
The AIJA SPIRIT, a legend...
how it all began
I NTRODUCTI ON 12
>
At the same time, its course of actions is faithful to
what AIJA is all about: AIJA is about learning, getting
legal education, and acquiring skills that make you a
better lawyer. AIJA is about networking. AIJA is about
people and how meeting these people infuences the
course of your life
4
Obviously there would be an endless list of achieve-
ments to be reported here, as well as so many mem-
bers and of cers to be named and honoured To
that end, the History section on our website pro-
vides for all previously published contributions, sou-
venirs and pictures. There is one striking common
point among the Founders and our most renowned
AIJA members testimonies. It is their constant praise
of AIJAs core value: FRIENDSHIP. This is the very ce-
ment and soul of the Association. The key of its suc-
cess. This is what they called back then the AIJA
spirit.
May it last forever
Agns Proton
Honorary Secretary General (2009)
Cannes, April 2012
Member of the Organizing Committee of AIJA
50
th
Anniversary in Paris
4 Honorary President Nicole Van RANST (2006) in the 2007 Yearbook
- Foreword p 15.
I
l tait une fois en mai 1962 un groupe de jeunes
avocats venus de difrents pays dEurope, runis
autour dun bon dner lors dun congrs annuel de la
FNUJA
1
Toulouse, dans le sud-ouest de la France. Ils
avaient dj particip plusieurs congrs de la FNU-
JA et, ces occasions, ils taient devenus des amis
proches. Cest alors quils dcidrent de crer leur
propre association internationale de (jeunes) avo-
cats, pour ne plus rester de simples invits ailleurs.
Rendez-vous fut pris au 1er juillet 1962 Luxem-
bourg pour la runion de lAssemble constitutive
fondatrice, o ils donnrent naissance lUIJA
2
,
laquelle deviendrait bientt lAIJA
3
afn dviter toute
confusion avec la prexistante UIA. En 1963 fut tenu
le premier congrs de lAIJA Genve, qui rencontra
un impressionnant succs pour une si jeune associa-
tion. LAIJA tait lance et depuis lors le succs serait
toujours au rendez-vous.
Dimportantes tapes au fl du temps ont inclus la
fondamentale Dclaration dAthnes adopte
lissue du congrs annuel le 27 aot 1966, qui dfnit
encore les principaux objectifs de lAssociation: Les
jeunes avocats de tous les pays sont solidaires les uns
des autres. Ils entendent dfendre les principes qui leur
sont communs et quils tiennent pour indissociables
de la notion mme de justice et de droit (article I). A
loccasion du 50me anniversaire de notre Associa-
tion, cette Dclaration fondatrice sera renouvele et
deviendra la Dclaration de Paris .
1 La Fdration Nationale des Unions de Jeunes Avocats, un syndicat
franais davocats cr en 1947.
2 LUnion Internationale des Jeunes Avocats.
3 LAssociation Internationale des Jeunes Avocats.
Agns Proton
Il tait une fois lAIJA:
LESPRIT AIJA,
la lgende
ou comment tout
a commenc
AIJA 1962 - 2012 50
th
anniversary I NTRODUCTI ON 13
En 1976 furent inaugurs les Cours de Droit de lAIJA;
un virage fut pris avec le premier vnement outre-
Atlantique couronn de succs Qubec, o les Prix
des Anciens Prsidents furent galement octroys pour
la premire fois. Par la suite, lAIJA passa du seuil inter-
national global; elle se dveloppa dans le monde
entier, sur tous les continents et dans prs de 90 pays.
Une dcennie plus tard en 1986 le Comit SOS Avocats
fut cr, et dfni comme ayant pour mission dassurer
le droit de tout avocat au libre exercice de sa profession
et celui de toute personne dtre librement reprsente
en justice et de faire lobjet dun procs quitable.
La premire session de La Voix de la Profession lan-
ce lors du Congrs de Budapest en 2009 aura sans
aucun doute marqu une autre tape fondamentale
dans lHistoire de lAssociation.
Actuellement lAIJA runit prs de trois mille membres
individuels ainsi quune centaine de membres collec-
tifs nationaux ou internationaux (Ordres, Associations
et Syndicats professionnels). Ses deux langues of -
cielles sont langlais et le franais.
Elle organise plus de vingt vnements par an dans le
monde entier, dont un Congrs annuel, deux Conf-
rences semestrielles et de nombreux Sminaires. Ses tra-
vaux sont mens au sein de vingt-et-une Commissions
scientifques spcialises couvrant toutes les matires,
parmi lesquelles une place prpondrante est rserve
aux Droits de lHomme ainsi qu lAvenir de la Profession.
LAIJA tend tre la principale association internatio-
nale des jeunes juristes en dbut de carrire. Simulta-
nment, son cap reste fdle son identit premire:
LAIJA cest apprendre, senrichir de connaissances
juridiques, acqurir des comptences qui font de vous un
meilleur avocat. LAIJA cest crer un rseau. LAIJA cest
une histoire de personnes et comment rencontrer ces
personnes infuence le cours de votre vie.
4
Bien sr, dautres ralisations marquantes mrite-
raient dtre ici rappeles, de mme que de nombreux
membres devraient galement tre nomms et hono-
rs. A cet efet, la section Histoire de notre site inter-
net met votre disposition tous les tmoignages, sou-
venirs et photographies publis ce jour. Il existe un
point commun frappant parmi ces tmoignages des
Fondateurs et ceux de nos membres les plus illustres.
Cest la place prpondrante quils reconnaissent tous
la principale valeur de lAIJA : lAMITIE. Elle est le
ciment et lme de lAssociation. La cl de son succs.
Elle est ce quils appelaient alors lesprit AIJA.
Quil dure toujours
Agns PROTON
Secrtaire Gnrale dHonneur (2009)
Cannes, Avril 2012.
Membre du Comit dOrganisation du
50
me
anniversaire de lAIJA Paris
4 Cf Nicole Van RANST, Prsidente dHonneur (2006), cf Annuaire
2007- prface p 15.
I NTRODUCTI ON 14