Conférence du barreau de Paris

The Conference du barreau de Paris is an association of french lawyers² founded in 1810 which brings together twelve young lawyers elected by their peers (following an eloquence contest), working as a special task force on sensitive criminal cases.

Many of the Secrétaires de la conférence have distinguished themselves in French culture and politics - among which Members of the Académie française Members of the Government, Members of Parliament, President of the French Republic (Jules Grévy, Raymond Poincaré, Alexandre Millerand) - and French judicial history among which Fernand Labori (who defended Alfred Dreyfus) and Jacques Vergès famous for having defended Klaus Barbie and Sadam Hussein.

The twelve Secrétaires de la conférence (secretaries in office) designate their successors at the end of a contest of eloquence in which the candidates (around 300) are called upon to respond, with a ten-minute speech, to non-legal related (and sometimes confusing) subjects.

The conference is charged by the Paris' Bâtonnier (President of the Bar) with the defense of sensitive criminal matters (rapes, murder, terrorism, fast track procedures) from the custody stage until the trial before the Cour d'assise (french criminal court).

The conference represents the Paris bar in France and abroad, particularly with the French-speaking bars, with which it maintains long-lasting and privileged links. The conference is also present in sensitive trials abroad to report and alert when human rights are threatened.

The Conférence is also lobbying, every time a new draft bill regarding criminal law, is discussed in the Government or before the Parliament.

...
Wikipedia