The Center for Advocacy has opened in Dnipro

The University of Customs and Finance has established an educational and research hub — the Center for Advocacy — designed to bring together the academic and legal communities, as well as representatives of government agencies, the judiciary and the general public.

Educators implemented this project in collaboration with the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Bar Association.

The Center for research on the legal profession and law of the UNBA also joined in the creation of this new space. Its director Iryna Vasylyk donated publications on the history of advocacy and prepared layouts for informational displays, which are intended to strengthen the historical and legal component of the Center’s work.

The opening ceremony was attended by scholars and students, government officials, and advocates, who were greeted by Rector of the University Dmytro Bocharov and the chairman of the Regional Bar Association Tetyana Leshchenko.

The opening of the Center confirms the University’s systematic cooperation with the professional legal community, aimed at ensuring the quality of the educational process and strengthening the practical training of law students, – commented the university on the event.

The Center plans to host open lectures, mock trials, training sessions, and master classes with the participation of attorneys. A separate area of work will focus on research into issues related to advocacy, access to legal aid, as well as the organization of internships, practical training, and career guidance for students.

«We already have a memorandum of cooperation with the University of Customs and Finance and are constantly expanding it with new projects. One such project was the museum-office dedicated to the history of advocacy in the Dnipropetrovsk region, which served as a venue for master classes for students in the region. In preparation for the opening of the Center for the Legal Profession, we have created new exhibits on the history of advocacy — featuring advocates who were patrons of the arts, statesmen, writers, cooperative leaders, and politicians. We hope that the Center will become a platform for new research into the history of the region’s advocacy profession, as well as for projects on legal ethics and practical training for students», - noted I. Vasylyk.

The first lecture for students at the Center for Advocacy was delivered by representatives of the UNBA NextGen in the Dnipropetrovsk region: Alevtina Bashkeeva, Anna Tsurkan, Yulia Protopop and Inna Pavlenko.

They emphasized that the Committee works to support young advocates, their professional development, and the formation of a community where they can seek advice, exchange experiences, and find solutions to practical issues. They also highlighted the importance of a professional environment that helps young advocates feel connected to the advocacy profession.

I. Pavlenko, who is also a university lecturer, spoke about the historical stages of the development of advocacy. She outlined the path from the adversarial process of the Kyivan Rus’ era and legal regulation in the Lithuanian Statutes to the development of the institution of attorneys in the Hetmanate, Soviet control over advocacy, and the formation of modern bar self-governance after 1991.

Students also learned about the requirements for obtaining the right to practice law. The lecturers discussed the requirements for prospective advocates, including a full higher legal education, proficiency in the official language, and work experience in the legal field, as well as the stages of entering the profession: passing a qualifying exam, completing an internship, taking the advocate’s oath, and receiving a license.