OUR HISTORY

The European Lawyers’ Union (U.A.E.) was founded in Luxembourg in 1986 by a group of leading practitioners as a non-profit association devoted to promoting the practice of law within the European Community (as the European Union was then called), the harmonisation of the statue and professional and ethical practices of European lawyers, as well as to advancing the practice of E.U. law and of the law derived from the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

For almost three decades the Union has organised hundreds of conferences, seminars and meetings across Europe. The annual Congress is the main scientific event of each year, usually hosting a varied faculty of practitioners, academics and researchers, representatives of the E.U. and national institutions and members of the business community, around a theme of topical interest. The General Assembly, usually held in the last months of each year, is also an important part of the associations’ year, and includes both a scientific and an institutional component.

Many of the regional delegations and commissions of the U.A.E. also organize conferences, seminars and other events on a regular basis, frequently in cooperation with other professional associations, and continue to play a significant role in the life of local legal communities.

The proceedings of many annual congresses and other relevant conferences have been published in the U.A.E. Collection, a joint project of the U.A.E. and the editing house Bruylant (presently part of the Larcier Group).

Throughout the years a number of personalities have been given honorary membership of the U.A.E. The list of Honorary Members of the association may be found here.

The list of the original founding members of the U.A.E. can be found here.