A significant step in endorsing students of the Faculty of Law and Political Science (FLPS), Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Youssef SADER Foundation for Legal Culture (YSF) and Librairie SADER Editeurs (SADER), pioneering organizations in promoting legal literacy in the Middle East. Convening at the Main Campus’ Pierre Abou Khater Auditorium, NDU President, Fr. Bechara Khoury, and YSF President, Attny. Rany Sader, signed the MoU with the intention of combining the institutions’ efforts to expand legal publishing and the advancement of legal tech, an innovative means of providing legal services via specialized software and the internet. Additionally present were the YSF Vice President, Judge Rosy Bouhadir Sader, Dean of the FLPS, Dr. Dany Samaha, and other representatives of YSF, SADER, and the University.
With a new generation of legal experts on the rise, there is a growing need of increasing legal literacy, facilitating legal services, and supporting the legal industry at large, particularly given Lebanon’s current state of political and civil unrest, warranting judicial reform and professionals working with legal integrity for the sake of justice and equity. Commenting on the collaboration, Fr. Khoury highlighted the imperative of both institutions’ shared culture “regarding their care for the new generation. Therefore, we should always find innovative ways to secure their future and prepare them for the marketplace.”
Attny. Sader harbored the same sentiments, expressing his confidence in the collaborative efforts moving forward: “We look forward to fruitful cooperation with NDU. We feel very privileged to receive such huge academic support from one of the leading Universities in Lebanon and the region.”
In terms of how this MoU ties into the FLPS curriculum and its students, Dean Samaha stated that with YSF and SADER, the University will be able to build upon the pillars that uphold the legal sector and higher education, allowing NDU “to implement a new legal culture based on revolutionary approaches. We hope this MoU will help all parties to make a difference in our students' legal education.”
January 2023 will see to the launching of new legal tech by YSF, according to Attny. Sader, in addition to providing FLPS students with internship opportunities that will inform their understanding and practice of navigating legal documents and the publishing process. Their familiarization with the latest legal software will further their skills in administering legal services later in their careers.
After the signing, YSF and SADER present Fr. Khoury with a trophy, a symbolic token of appreciation in anticipation of what the future entails.