You have the right to be heard, right? – This is the question that Eka Egutia, Founder of the EK Law Office – the first physical office in New York owned by the Georgian Lawyer, asked back in an interview with The Checkpoints last week while comparing the US and Georgian courts and the respect towards the Rule of Law.
“I’ve always wanted to practice in New York – Egutia told The Checkpoints – A lot of injustice is here, in Georgia and I wanted to experience the real Rule of Law”.
Georgian Lawyer and now the founder of the office, which already has an employment status only since July 2019 stressed the most important difference that makes a lawyer’s job meaningful.
“When you go to NY judge for instance that he is impartial. And if you present arguments, if you work had on the case and you have all the arguments with which you present your clients’ interests in court, you know that this will be taken into account properly” – Egutia said.
According to the Founder of EK Law Office in New York, the very first pleading that she had in NY court, showed her how the Rule of Law works to have the access to justice “when you lead your case and you know that you are being heard”.
On the contrary, drawing on her experience in Georgia, Eka said she “had horrible experiences”.
“I present the case well where I know that my client is right, I present arguments, I plead before the judge and I can see that judge is not really interested in my arguments, because he has prejudged already or prejudiced my client for some reasons – for instance, political or whatsoever” – Egutia remembered. “That is unfortunate. That is where the lawyers work is quite useless I must say” – she added.
