The DLA Piper Future Lawyers Skills Program is a five-day legal training course that focuses on the rule of law, access to justice, pro bono, client interviewing, working with vulnerable clients, and legal writing skills. This interactive and practical legal skills course has been institutionalised as part of the firm’s long-standing pro bono initiative and its commitment to capacity building in developing countries.

25 young law students from the Faculty of Law, Chiang Mai University, recently participated in the course held from 10th to 14th June 2024, which was jointly organised by DLA Piper, BABSEACLE, The Legal House Thailand, and the Faculty of Law of Chiang Mai University. The course was conducted on campus to create collaborative learning experiences.
On the first day of the course, Assistant Professor Dr.Chainarong Luengvilai, Dean of the Faculty of Law, presented at the opening ceremony and delivered an inspirational speech to welcome students and course facilitators.

The entire course was led by Aaron Chan, Pro Bono Associate in Asia Pacific, alongside two lawyers from the global firm’s Bangkok Office—Jia Xiang Ang, Associate, and Nicharee Kitiyansub, Legal Assistant, as Co-Facilitators—along with Bruce Lasky, Co-Director and Co-Founder of BABSEACLE, Nattakan Chomputhong, BABSEACLE Thailand Country Manager/Legal House Thailand Law Social Enterprise Law Firm Partner, and Sukanya Maneemuang, BABSEACLE Thailand Legal Programme Coordinator/Legal House Thailand Social Enterprise Law Firm Partner.

The course offered a holistic approach to lifelong learning and created an engaging and energising classroom environment as a safe space to broaden students’ landscape of legal perspectives and sow seeds for pro bono culture in the country.
Students exercised their skills and gained important knowledge that bridges the gap between law in theory and practice in reality. They debated legal ideas, recognised opportunities to do pro bono work, conducted interviews with clients ethically, and prepared file notes and written advices.

After five days of dynamic and transformative learning, the students have been better equipped with professionalism and confidence to become good and ethical lawyers in their generation and for future generations.