Welcome
We are pleased to welcome you to the 30th Annual Conference and General Meeting of the East Africa Law Society (EALS), co-hosted with the Ethiopian Federal Advocates Association. This year, we gather in the iconic city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a city rich in history, diplomacy, and Pan-African ideals to celebrate three decades of unwavering commitment to the rule of law, regional integration, and the empowerment of the legal profession in East Africa.
This is more than a conference. It is a historic milestone, a homecoming for a community of legal professionals whose efforts have shaped national constitutions, advanced justice systems, defended civic freedoms, and contributed to a more integrated East Africa. For thirty years, EALS has stood as a unifying force in the region, championing justice, promoting good governance, and fostering legal excellence across borders.
In 2025, we expect to convene over 1,000 legal practitioners, including judges, advocates, in-house counsel, academics, policymakers, young lawyers among other distinguished categories of practitioners. This distinguished gathering offers unmatched opportunities for knowledge exchange, strategic dialogue, and regional collaboration.
Our conference theme, “EALS @30: Three Decades of Promoting Rule of Law, Regional Integration and the Legal Profession in East Africa,” is both a celebration and a call to action. It invites us to reflect on the pivotal role lawyers have played in shaping the East African project and to look ahead with purpose, reimagining how law can be harnessed as a tool for peace, prosperity, and unity in the decades to come.
The program has been carefully curated to inspire and challenge. Through plenary sessions, interactive workshops, and focused thematic discussions, we will explore the evolving legal landscape and emerging trends that are redefining our profession and region.
We will also delve into the following thought-provoking themes:
This conversation will set the tone for the future of East Africa’s legal harmonization. It will explore the past 30 years of the Society and explores how the legal profession can pioneer deeper integration — from liberalizing cross-border legal practice to strengthening supranational dispute resolution mechanisms, regulatory alignment, and people-centred justice across the Community.
As global influence shifts, Africa’s voice is growing stronger on the world stage. This session considers how East African lawyers can strategically engage with international institutions, assert regional priorities in global governance, and shape transnational legal standards that reflect our values and realities.
The legal profession stands at the threshold of profound technological change. We explore how digital justice tools — from e-filing to artificial intelligence — are reshaping legal practice, and what it means to build smart, accessible, and accountable justice systems in an African context.
This session confronts the urgent need for robust legal frameworks to address cybercrime, digital surveillance, misinformation, and data exploitation. Lawyers will discuss strategies for building legal ecosystems that uphold digital rights, balance innovation with safeguards, and promote public trust in the digital age.
Termed the Regional Rule of Law Dialogue, this session will explore democratic backsliding and constitutional amendments. It will revisit the lawyer’s foundational role in defending civil liberties, reinforcing constitutionalism, and holding power to account. From electoral law to judicial independence, we interrogate the rule of law in our time.
Climate change and armed conflict are triggering displacement, resource disputes, and human rights emergencies. Legal professionals must respond — through litigation, policy, and advocacy — to secure climate justice, defend vulnerable communities, and uphold humanitarian norms.
This session examines how legal practice is evolving to meet the needs of fast-growing sectors like fintech, agribusiness, climate finance, and the digital economy. It highlights the lawyer’s role in facilitating investment, managing risk, and advancing sustainable development.
Despite growing representation, women lawyers still face systemic barriers. This session, set to be hosted at this year’s Women Lawyers Conference, shines a light on achievements, addresses ongoing challenges, and proposes bold strategies to promote equity, inclusion, and leadership for women across all spheres of the legal profession.
As legal roles expand into business, diplomacy, and advisory services, this session explores the growing demand for lawyers who can bridge legal knowledge with strategy, governance, compliance, and innovation — and what this shift means for legal education and practice in the region.