Executive Summary:- Background: • In June 2012, Perseus Strategies and New Perimeter, in partnership with the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, initiated a broad rule of law assessment of Myanmar • Upon completion of this assessment, New Perimeter and Perseus Strategies will launch a program where potentially thousands of pro bono hours from the global law firm DLA Piper will be invested into a focused project to advance law reform efforts in Myanmar... Current situation: • On November 7, 2010, Myanmar held its first election in 20 years – much of the reaction to the reforms instituted by President Thein Sein, inaugurated in March 2011, reflects the hope that the country can break free of its authoritarian past that involves widespread human-rights abuses • Following by-elections in April 2012, Aung San Suu Kyi has joined the government as an elected MP, along with several dozen representatives of the National League for Democracy and ethnic political parties • Major reform efforts have been initiated by the government across an array of areas, which has reinforced these hopes, but there remains a large gap between public perception and the reality of the impact of reform efforts on the ground • There is a strong consensus across the political spectrum that advancing the rule of law and law reform efforts are a top priority, but the government, opposition, and other parties have different views as to the sequencing of specific efforts... Key findings: • President Thein Sein and his allies in the government are making genuine reforms; however, many government institutions are quite fragile and the role of the military remains opaque • For these changes to be permanent and irreversible, constitutional reform is important, but it is unclear if the government will undertake such efforts in the near term • Law reform is being implemented from the top‑down, but these efforts must be driven into government bureaucracies and down to the local level, and coupled with major grassroots efforts to educate people about their rights • The judicial system is in need of large‑scale reform – corruption is a serious issue and decisions are sometimes made by the executive branch • The parliament will be a significant player in law reform efforts, but requires major investment to build its capacity so its contributions can be meaningful • Myanmar requires unprecedented effort to create a criminal defense and legal aid system, reconstitute the Bar Association, and rebuild the legal education system • The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission has potential, but should be reconstituted by the parliament as an independent government agency, in accordance with the Paris Principles • The government has signed several new treaties, but reform efforts could also be advanced through the signing and ratification of the Int?l Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Int?l Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment (CAT), which the government has indicated its intention to do.