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The world's largest independent law students' association ELSA (The European Law Students' Association) is an international, independent, non-political, non-profit-making organisation. It comprises a membership in excess of 30.000 students and recent graduates who are interested in law and have demonstrated commitment to international issues.
ELSA provides young, active individuals with the skills, experience and perspectives necessary to be tomorrow's effective leaders in the international legal and business world. ELSA's mark and influence lies in the diversity of our activities. To help link those different activities into our network, three key areas have been defined.
AA - Academic Activities
S&C - Seminars & Conferences
STEP - Student Trainee Exchange Programme
Law students from Austria, Hungary, Poland and West Germany founded ELSA in 1981.
ELSA International - based in Brussels - consists of
local groups like ELSA Regensburg at more than 220
universities throughout 41 countries in Europe.
The umbrella organization of the 43 local groups and 6.000 members in Germany
is ELSA Germany with its national board in Heidelberg.
Furthermore, ELSA co-operates with other student organisations across the world,
for instance ILSA in North America, ALSA in Japan, ALSA in Australia,
ALSA in South Africa and AEJCI in Ivory Coast.
ELSA has through its activities and commitment within the international community gained a special status with several international institutions.
In 2000 ELSA was granted consultative status with the Council of Europe.
Furthermore, ELSA has consultative status with several United Nations bodies;
in 1997 ELSA obtained Special Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC
(United Nations Economic and Social Council) and Consultative Status with UNCITRAL
(UN Commission on International Trade Law), in 1994 ELSA was granted Consultative Status
in Category C in UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation). In addition, ELSA has a co-operation agreement with
UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees).