"IABA's mission is to promote and defend the rule of law  as the foundation  of a just and free society in the Western Hemisphere”

Dear IABA Members:


"Life consists of both happiness and sorrow, a contrast of hope and disappointment. Poets are blessed with a delicate soul and a vivid and burning imagination, as endowed by the Creator, for the ongoing duel between dreams and reality."

This passage by well-known Brazilian writer Machado de Assis describes the challenges that we all face in pursuing our dreams. I, for one, can say that serving as your IABA president has brought wonderful moments of happiness and accomplishment.

I am grateful for your trust in serving as our organization's president. Together, we held one of the most successful IABA Council meetings in Brasilia in October 2011. We also strengthened ties with the Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil (Brazilian Bar Association), the world's second-largest bar association.

I am thankful for the opportunity to have participated in numerous international events covering various aspects of the law, at which I represented our institution and its diverse legal community. These events took place throughout the globe, in countries such as Holland and Spain in Europe; Mexico, Canada and the U.S. in North America; and Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela in South America.

Together, we reorganized and restructured our organization's committees and its sections. We also improved the IABA's finances, and now enjoy a comfortable surplus. All the while, we increased our membership of lawyers from across three continents, strengthening our common cultural, scientific and professional foundation. Our Executive Committee rose to the challenge by working quickly and effectively on all of these tasks.

Now, in 2012, we face new challenges, including our annual conference to be held on Margarita Island (Venezuela) in June 2012. We will also work closely with the Organization of American States and various bar associations from around the hemisphere. By promoting our committees and sections, we seek to contribute to each member's legal knowledge, thus advancing our organization's common cause.

Above all, you may count on my continued loyalty, respect, trust and friendship in serving as president of our organization.

I look forward to working with you throughout 2012 and beyond.

Sincerely,

Dr. André de Almeida
President