Attorney takes justice teachings abroad

Angela Crawford left a job with the U.S Attorney's office in Chicago five years ago partially to move south and escape the harsh Midwest winters.

But the attorney, now a litigation partner with DLA Piper in Tampa, has spent some of her time more south than she ever imagined. In fact, Crawford is one of seven DLA Piper attorneys, and the only from Tampa, who recently returned from Guyana, a country on the northern coast of South America.

The DLA Piper team is on a mission to modernize the country's criminal justice system. The attorneys, through DLA Piper's nonprofit pro-bono affiliate, New Perimeter, have now been to Guyana twice, once in 2011 and again in August. Crawford focused on training Guyana magistrates on domestic violence case procedures and standards. The experience, Crawford tells Coffee Talk, was a “rare and unique opportunity.”

Guyana, where the official language is English and the culture is Caribbean, is a former United Kingdom colony that borders Venezuela. Inflation and unemployment are both above 10%, and the country, with a population of 756,000, struggles with debt, high crime rates and a backlogged courts system.

On her trips Crawford was struck by both the stark similarities and differences between the U.S. and Guyana justice systems. On the same side, both countries struggle with dilemmas like limited resources or alternatives to jail for juvenile offenders, says Crawford. But the lack of resources issue is more acute in Guyana, where magistrates can't afford clerks, and most courtrooms lack air conditioning.

“It's one of those situations that make you realize how great the U.S. is,” says Crawford, “and how what other countries don't have is unfathomable.”
Crawford prosecuted fraud and bank robbery cases in Chicago, while at DLA Piper she focuses on complex commercial litigation and product liability. She has several clients with offices and facilities outside the U.S., which is partially why she pursued global pro-bono work through New Perimeter. “It's a great project,” says Crawford. “I definitely anticipate doing more.”