Pakistan Chief Justice becomes Lawyer of the Year 2007.

The National Law Journal Names Pakistan Chief Justice Chaudhry as 2007 Lawyer of the Year
© Business Wire 20072007-12-12 16:09:33 - www.alm.com
- The National Law Journal today announced the selection of embattled Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as its 2007 "Lawyer of the Year," for his bold and influential stand in defense of judicial independence and the rule of law. Chaudhry, who remains under house arrest, was dismissed fromoffice by President Pervez Musharraf after imposition of emergency rule, but has remained a strong opposition voice and an international symbol of an independent judiciary and of resistance to the excesses of military rule. This represents the first time that the NLJ has selected a non-American to top its yearly honors list. Profiles of Chaudhry and this year's runner-up, Supreme Court advocate Maureen Mahoney, headline the year-end December 17th issue of The National Law Journal, and are also online at www.nlj.com. "While Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is not exactly a household name to the legal profession in the United States, we believe he should be," said Rex Bossert, editor in chief of The National Law Journal. "Despite every effort to silence him, he has been, and continues to be, his country's leading symbol and advocate for a return to the rule of law in Pakistan." Chaudhry has inspired thousands of his Pakistani lawyer-brethren to protest in the streets in their traditional black suits and ties. Hundreds of attorneys have also turned out to protest on his behalf in cities across the U.S. and around the world. He rose from middle class beginnings to join the Pakistan Supreme Court in 2000. In 2005, Chaudhry was appointed chief justice of Pakistan and began to assert the high court's independence, pushing the government to disclose the whereabouts of Pakistanis who were secretly detained by intelligence agencies for alleged terrorism or other political purposes. On March 9, Musharraf, backed by the military, suspended Chaudhry, sparking mass protests. A 13-member panel of the Pakistan Supreme Court reinstated him in July, but in November, Musharraf suspended the country's Constitution and purged the court of Chaudhry and others. Musharraf has asked judges to swear an oath to the provisional Constitution, but many have refused, at Chaudhry's encouragement. Lawyers are also boycotting courtrooms run by judges who have sworn their loyalty to the new legal regime. Latham & Watkins partner Mahoney, this year's runner-up, argued four cases in the 2006-2007 Supreme Court term, more than any other lawyer in private practice. The cases tested her versatility in a range of difficult legal areas, but she walked away with three victories, bumping her overall, high court record to 18 arguments and only two losses. In the past year, she has also taken on the appeal of convicted former Quest chief executive Joseph Naccio. Founded in 1978, The National Law Journal has the largest paid circulation of any weekly publication serving the legal community. The newspaper is published by ALM.About ALM ALM is a leading integrated media company, focused on the legal and business communities. ALM currently owns and publishes 33 national and regional magazines and newspapers, including The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, The National Law Journal and Real Estate Forum. The company is one of North America's largest producers of conferences and trade shows for business leaders and the legal profession. ALM's Law.com is the Web's leading legal news and information network, while ALM's GlobeSt.com is the Web's leading information source for commercial real estate professionals. Other ALM businesses include book and newsletter publishing, court verdict and settlement reporting, production of professional educational seminars, market research and content distribution. For more information, visit www.alm.com. ALM is an Incisive Media company. About Incisive Media Incisive Media is a rapidly growing provider of specialist business information, in print, in person and online. Incisive Media operates in four principal markets: financial services, risk management, professional services and marketing services. Incisive Media's market leading brands include Investment Week, Post Magazine, Risk, Search Engine Strategies, Accountancy Age, Professional Pensions, Computing and Legal Week. For more information, visit www.incisivemedia.com. ALM, The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, The National Law Journal, Law.com and all other ALM publication and product names are either registered trademarks or trademarks of ALM Properties, Inc. Peters & Feldman for ALM
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