Relations between the United States and Latin America are once again entering a historic phase. How the nations of the Americas handle issues such as the rule of law and the role of judges and lawyers in human rights, trade, immigration, narcotics traffic, security, and natural resources development will shape the future of nations in this hemisphere. Because all of these issues have strong legal content, attorneys in the United States and Latin America have a particular responsibility to address them cooperatively.

A history of conflict between north and south, widely varying intellectual and cultural traditions, and numerous differences between Anglo-American and Latin American legal systems, will test attorneys' abilities to work together. We hope in this article to point the way toward successful collaboration and to describe attorneys' unique role throughout the Americas.