Background
On account of high-developed and great facilitated progress in current communications, a variety of international relationships has been established as well as global-cooperated organizations of law students in each region, which are coincidentally appeared and seriously support themselves. Asian Law Students’ Association or ALSA was established in 1989 by a law students’ union in Indonesia for major purposes i) to allow law students of different Asian countries to possibly have chance to exchange their legal perspectives and knowledge, ii) to study significant differences in legality of countries, and iii) to enhance legal knowledge to latterly be applied with their future careers and society through conferences and activities regularly held by ALSA.
ALSA is consisted of 141 member countries which include Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Japan, South-Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, and Bangladesh. All are recognized as ALSA-members.
For Thailand, ALSA-Thailand was established in 1990 and included 4 local chapters at that time as ALSA-Thailand’s members. They were Assumption University, Chulalongkorn University, Chiangmai University, and Thammasat University. Assumption University was only one private university in the organization back then and always participated in all ALSA’ activities.
By far, we, Assumption University, have played significant roles in organizing ALSA activities. Those important noted activities include the Study Trip in 1999 when Assumption University and Chulalongkorn University together hosted the event to welcome all Asian law delegates to Thailand, presided over the ceremony by Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, and in 2001 when we hosted the 13th ASEAN Law Students Conference (ALSC) under the theme “Discover the Real World, Discover the Real ASEAN” in Suvarnabhumi Campus, presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali.
Vision
ALSA-Thailand aims to enable law students to gain efficiency in legal vocation and to extend law students’ perspectives.
Objectives
- To provide a chance to exchange and to generate understanding in legal systems which are different among the country members and in other regions
- To activate and to support law students’ visions and analytical skill in international aspects through various activities of both domestic and international ones
- To establish good relationship between law students in Asia and to exchange good cultures and traditions with other countries
- To gain experiences derived from various ALSA activities and apply with legal career and society to its utmost benefit
- To exchange legal opinions and enrich law students’ visions
- To enhance and improve public speaking skill and learn to conduct a case like a lawyer
ALSA’s Activities:
International Events
The ALSA Forum is usually scheduled mid-year or during the summer period of most National chapters to encourage a good turnout of delegates. There are many interesting activities for delegates including academic, non-academic and cultural activities such as Table Discussion, Debate Competition, Symposium, Social Visit, Culture Class, Culture Trip, Culture Night and etc.
Moreover, the ALSA Forum is where the outgoing set of International Board officers will officially step down to give way to the new set of officers elected during the General Assembly. A member country in attendance is equivalent to one vote in the election of officers. Observer countries do not have the power to vote, but they are not precluded from asking questions to the candidates. The candidate with a majority vote is deemed elected for the post. At the ALSA Forum, an official turnover of officers also commences.
The ALSA Conference is a big event that brings together the brightest law students from member-country in the event either engage in a particular table discussion topic or model UN format, or compete in a debate. Furthermore, the cultural activities are available for the delegates, for example, Culture Class, Culture Trip, Culture Night and etc.
ALSA Study Trips are usually hosted by a National Chapter to introduce the peculiarity of its legal education to its foreign delegates for better appreciation. The hosted country also uses this opportunity to promote a more focused cultural exposure by immersing them in unique tours and activities. It is considered as one of the more intimate gatherings of ALSA members, since Study Trips are usually attended by only 10-40 (maximum) delegates. Their activities are all interesting such as Table Discussion, Legal Course, Culture Trip, Culture Night, Cooking night and etc.
National Events:
The ALSA Academic Activities could provide law students more global view through the legal aspect by taking them to places including both public and private organizations such as Law Firm, Court of Justice and etc.
The ALSA Open House, being organized by the ALSA Committee at a university level, is an opportunity to introduce ALSA and also the ALSA’s structure to the School’s students, generally hosted once a year. The ALSA Meeting, on the other hand, is an informal gathering to build up friendship inside the organization through activities of which includes academic and non-academic ones, such as recreation activities, games, legal discussion or debate competition.
The ALSA Workshop is a training activity given to law students by inviting experts to give a talk on specific topics in different occasions to give inspiration and motivation to listeners .
There are also many other interesting activities, such as the ALSA Camp and ALSA Video Conference, to welcome all new members to further explore.
