In keeping with its aim to lead and shape the conversation about critical legal issues in Qatar, the College of Law at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) held the inaugural ‘Clinton W. Francis Lecture in Legal Professionalism’ in the presence of invited guests, students, faculty and staff on November 28.

The college launched the lecture series in honor of Founding Dean, Dr. Clinton W. Francis, who is presently a Professor at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. The lecture, to be held annually, is designed to bring heightened attention to the rules that govern the practice of law, both in terms of their substance as well as their application. The lecture also seeks to honor Dr. Francis and his contributions to the College of Law, which is celebrating its sixth year.

The inaugural lecture, presented by Mohammed Essa Al-Mannai, General Counsel and Board Secretary at QatarEnergy, highlighted the responsibility of lawyers to exercise judgment in a reasoned, objective, and ethical manner across a range of circumstances, including many that raise conflicting norms. One of the most influential lawyers in Qatar, Mr. Al-Mannai’s expertise spans corporate governance, dispute resolution, and joint venture transactions. He shared his observations on professional conduct and the nature of legal practice within the corporate environment.

Dr. Francis responded to Mr. Al-Mannai’s address and built on the latter’s emphasis on the unique role of the lawyer as a fiduciary for clients. The College of Law’s Dean Susan L. Karamanian moderated an interactive session with the audience in which members posed challenging questions about how to best incentivize ethical conduct in the workplace.

“We are delighted to launch the Clinton W. Francis Lecture in Legal Professionalism. We were honored to have had our founding dean, Dr. Francis, with us and to have had one of Qatar’s most experienced lawyers, Mohammed Al-Mannai, share his insights into an issue that is of importance to lawyers and law students, alike. The College of Law seeks to strengthen the focus on legal professionalism in practice as ultimately society benefits when lawyers adhere to the highest ethical standards,” said Dean Karamanian.

The College of Law regularly holds events that examine cutting-edge legal issues of relevance to Qatar. For more information, please visit cl.hbku.edu.qa