As part of the JuSTICE Project, funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Lao Bar Association (LBA) undertook a week-long study visit to Paris, hosted by the École de Formation professionnelle des Barreaux of the Paris Court of Appeal (EFB).
The visit, held from 8 to 12 September 2025, marked a new milestone in the collaboration between the LBA and EFB, following earlier exchanges and training missions under the JuSTICE Project earlier in 2025. This cooperation aims to strengthen the LBA’s institutional capacity and enhance the quality and practicality of its training for trainee lawyers, in close coordination with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).
Over five days, the Lao delegation, composed of four members of the LBA Board, the Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Justice, and a Deputy Director from the NIJ, explored the organization and methodology of the French lawyer-training system. Guided by Mr Gilles Accomando, Director of EFB, and Ms Barbara Clauss, Head of International Cooperation, the programme combined presentations, workshops, and observation visits.
Participants gained first-hand insight into how French lawyers are trained, including the design of curricula, the supervision of trainers and training materials by the pedagogical team, the management of internships, and the continuous assessment of trainees. They engaged in discussions with EFB’s pedagogical managers on interactive, practice-based teaching methods, such as courtroom simulations, role plays, and case studies.
The study visit also featured field observations at the Paris Judicial Court, where delegates attended a real hearing, as well as visits to the Paris Bar Association and the Court of Cassation, complemented by exchanges with French magistrates and practising lawyers.
A highlight of the week was attending the final examination for the Certificat d’aptitude à la profession d’avocat (CAPA), the official Certificate of Qualification for the Legal Profession, which trainee lawyers must pass to practise in France. The delegation also participated in a session on Qualiopi, France’s national quality certification framework for training providers, which sets strict standards on course design, delivery, and evaluation.
Throughout the week, EFB shared a range of pedagogical tools used in its training programmes, including evaluation grids, feedback forms, and templates for curriculum planning, which the LBA can adapt to strengthen its own lawyer training framework in Lao PDR.
This study visit is part of a broader, year-long cooperation programme between the EFB and LBA, comprising an exploratory mission, a curriculum consultation, and an upcoming Training-of-Trainers (ToT) workshop in Vientiane. The collaboration supports the LBA’s revision of its 45-day initial training programme and the introduction of modern, practice-oriented teaching methods that complement NIJ’s one-year judicial training.
By fostering long-term institutional cooperation and adapting international best practices to the Lao context, the partnership between the EFB and LBA contributes to a shared objective: strengthening the professionalism and capacity of the Lao legal community, in line with the broader goals of the JuSTICE Project.
