The recent regular conference of the Rule of Law Institute has stated existence of developed network of independent lawyers and legal advisors working in various regions of Russia and the CIS countries, and has established principles of work of the Institute for the coming work year.

Special attention was paid to the following principles:

• members of the Institute pay special attention to pleading strategic, especially complicated cases, as they have the greatest influence not only on participants of proceedings, but also on general legal situation in the country as a whole.

• activity of the Institute is organized basing on a horizontal network without any administrative control implemented by any of the members. The formal management of the Institute acts only as a coordinator and possesses representation powers.

• special attention is paid to development of regional structures of the Institute considering complexity of work in the Russian regions and special necessity to support independent lawyers and legal advisors there.

• the main method of work for the Institute is based on the principle of free self-determination when a member of legal network chooses sphere and scope of his/her abilities application and holds personal responsibility for work in the chosen field.

• so far, the Institute has functioned solely on the basis of self-financing, so called “pool” basis, when means on implementing a project are allocated by members themselves solely on their kind wish.

• work of the Institute includes not only passing particular cases in the framework of created legal network, but also concluding partnership agreements with organizations requiring constant legal support.

• at present the Institute develops its network not only in the Russian Federation, but also in the CIS countries, and through making partnership contacts with similar legal associations abroad.

• expansion of partnership contacts has led to long-term cooperation and actual membership of people, not being professional lawyers, but working in sphere close to legal activity (journalists, sociologists, psychiatrists, experts, etc.).

The institute is not political association. People having various views can be its members; however, social rights and necessity to unite the efforts on the professional basis to promote these rights are stated as priority.

The problems discussed by the conference participants included a proposal to change the name of the Institute, but it was rejected as the existing name had become a well-known brand and its change would cause additional problems with re-registration of incorporation documents.

At present one of the urgent problems is lack of technical equipment of regional departments, this prevents from supporting permanent contact between them, considering significant geographical dispersion of the Institute’s members.

Along with pure legal projects in the coming work year we are going to participate in social and public initiatives both by rendering legal advice, and as initiating such projects to achieve aims and purposes of the Institute.

We are going to continue such projects as information coverage of the Institute activity, organization of law conferences, training seminars, preparation and issue of legal information bulletins and other actions.