The College of Law at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) recently hosted the second Clinton W. Francis Lecture in Legal Professionalism. Qatari lawyer Sultan Al-Abdulla, Founding Partner, Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners and the former general counsel to Qatar Energy, presented the lecture. Professor Clinton W. Francis of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, HBKU Law’s Founding Dean, for whom the lecture is named, provided the response to Mr. Al-Abdulla’s presentation. HBKU College of Law’s Dean Susan L. Karamanian moderated the session.

In his Francis Lecture, Mr. Sultan Al-Abdulla focused on three critical aspects of the legal profession in Qatar: legal education, the judiciary, and the practice of law. Commenting about the lecture, Mr. Al-Abdulla recognized that “One defining characteristic of a just society is its commitment to upholding the rule of law. This requires a strong legal foundation built on the three underlying pillars of legal education, a capable judiciary, and the professionalism and ethical behavior of legal practitioners.” 

Recognizing that without education, the other two pillars of a legal system suffer, Mr. Al-Abdulla further noted that “HBKU College of Law has been a key proponent of effective legal education, and of teaching legal professionalism and ethics to future practitioners. As our legal system continues to develop, I look to the future with optimism, knowing that the standards of legal education have been set so high. It was my pleasure to speak about the current challenges facing the legal profession, and to honor HBKU College of Law’s Founding Dean, Dr. Clinton W. Francis, under whose guidance and leadership this essential institution was established.”

According to Dean Karamanian, “Mr. Al-Abdulla’s extensive and wide-ranging experience as a lawyer in Qatar, in which he has worked with Qatari and foreign clients in domestic and international tribunals, enabled him to provide unique insights, both from an historical perspective as well as from a comparative one. For our students, the lessons he conveyed will guide them in their legal studies and their professional endeavors.”

Launched in honor of Francis’s integral contribution as Founding Dean, the Clinton W. Francis Lecture in Legal Professionalism gives the HBKU community an opportunity to hear insights into the legal profession on the rules and practices that guide the practice of law, both in terms of their substance as well as their application.

HBKU College of Law’s internationally recognized faculty help shape the conversation about legal professionalism in Qatar, leveraging their substantial expertise to analyze and address contemporary legal issues of profound relevance to Qatar, the region and beyond.