Lawyer off to Afghanistan to build legal system

An associate in Linklaters' New York office is taking a nine-month sabbatical from the firm to help Afghanistan develop a system for property law.

John Dempsey has signed up as a volunteer with the International Rescue Committee in Afghanistan.

Mr Dempsey will join a team of lawyers advising the new government of Afghanistan in several critical areas.

Focusing on the development of the country's property law system, he will be responsible for investigating the most common types of property disputes among returning refugees, as well as developing pilot programmes for resolving them.

It is hoped that these pilots, if successful, will be implemented country-wide and a statutory code for property dispute resolution drafted.

Mr Dempsey said: 'The opportunity to make a difference in an area of the world that is lacking in legal resources was compelling enough for me to seek the firm's permission for a leave of absence.'

After initial training in Europe, Mr Dempsey will be based in Kabul and will travel around Afghanistan.

He will also make periodic trips to Pakistan's north-west frontier.