Role and Duties

*****Currently being updated*****

GAJE is governed by a Steering Committee (SC), which is also the formal Board of Directors for purposes of its status as a US-registered NGO.  The SC consists of two representatives from each of 8 regions of the world (one woman and one man) elected by the general membership at the biannual GAJE Worldwide Conferences, and a number of at-large members appointed by the 16 elected representatives. The Steering Committee meets several times a year by email to formulate policy and direct work to be conducted by GAJE committees and working groups. 

All GAJE work is conducted by volunteers.  Currently active standing committees that report to the Steering Committee are: the Executive Committee, the Regional Committee, and the Communications Committee.  Appointed regularly to prepare and plan each Worldwide Conference, are the Conference Planning Committee and related Local Organizing Committee, as well as several Working Groups responsible for various aspects and tasks. Most Steering Committee members serve as active members of at least one of these committee or working groups, typically as chairperson or liaison between the group and the Steering Committee.

Over the 20+ years of its existence, GAJE has developed a distinctive form of governance guided by its mission statement “to involve persons from as many countries in the world as possible, avoiding domination by any single country, and especially committed to meaningful participation from less affluent countries, institutions, and organizations.”

The current Steering Committee is a diverse group from 13 different countries, and includes among its members law professors, public interest lawyers, and staff at various non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Younger GAJE members are very much encouraged to be candidates for the Steering Committee.