On August 11-13, CLDP conducted an intensive workshop for Iraqi judges on the role of courts in adjudicating disputes involving letters of credit. The workshop was attended by 11 senior Iraqi judges from across the country and was led by the Honorable Jed S. Rakoff of the Southern District of New York and also featured presentations by a Lebanese commercial court judge and an international banking law expert from Virginia. 

As part of CLDP's multi-phase program, which began in 2009 to support Iraq's judiciary in the area of commercial law, this workshop was specifically requested by Iraq's nascent commercial courts given an influx of disputes involving letters of credit. The workshop aimed to provide the Iraqi judges with an understanding of international principles and rules, which are used by judges to determine the rights and obligations of parties in a dispute. The workshop participants included chief judges of seven Iraqi appellate courts, a member of the Iraqi Court of Cassation and the Basra Commercial Court.