Through Law, Tajik Fellow Becomes Agent of Change

Twenty years after Tajikistan gained independence, Farrukhjon Ibrohimov will return from a fellowship in the US equipped to help shape his country’s nascent legal system. After completing his Master’s in Law (LLM) at the University of Connecticut this month, Ibrohimov, a lawyer in the capital of Dushanbe, plans to strengthen the rule of law there by sharing the tools, knowledge, and networks he has honed in the US.

This year is one of sweeping change for law in Tajikistan, says Ibrohimov. That’s why he decided to be part of the Legal Education and Development (LEAD) Fellowship Program for Tajikistan. The LEAD program brings top legal professionals from Tajikistan to the US to gain firsthand knowledge of how law works in the US.

Ibrohimov hopes that in another 20 years, the legal system in Tajikistan will have helped communities become more tolerant. “I hope the country will continue to be one that cares about its citizens, that democratic values will increase, and that the freedoms of speech, belief, and religion that are granted by the Constitution will be maintained at an even higher level.”

As Ibrohimov learns about the legal history of the US, history is being made in Tajikistan. His colleagues back home keep him apprised of new laws being passed, many of which focus on corporate and commercial laws, in addition to taxation. “During this year, legal professionals are making an effort to change our legal system and passing new laws in our parliament,” Ibrohimov said. “However, there is still a long way to go to make it better, especially considering we want to create very investor-friendly laws in our state.”

Ibrohimov has been studying, interning at Lawyers Without Borders, and volunteering in the US so he can contribute to those positive changes. After returning to Tajikistan, he will continue practicing law and hopes to become a professor, where he can share with other legal professionals the comparative view he has gained here. “So far in my studies, I have gotten familiarized with the legal system of America, ways of teaching law in schools here, the passion for their work, and the challenges they’re facing.”

Ibrohimov is hopeful about the progress of his own country. “It’s just the beginning, and we’ve got a ways to go. Studying in the US has provided me with the opportunity to understand how laws were created and tested over a long period, so we have to give our laws back home a chance.”

Personally, Ibrohimov will carry back with him a newfound inspiration that will help him become that agent of positive change in Tajikistan. “During my stay, I have learned about hard work, patience and love for what you are doing,” Ibrohimov said. “If a person wants to succeed in job he is doing and wants to do something really good, he needs all of these.”

The Legal Education and Development (LEAD) Fellowship Program for Tajikistan is a program of IREX and the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) and is funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the United States Department of State.