On April 3, the Congress College business community, working under EAJC aegis, held a club meeting. The first two hours were dedicated to a seminar on interacting with the authorities, held by EAJC Vice President Yuri Raskin, and personal consultations held by Grigoriy Cohen and Magomedrasul Murtazaliyev. Then the plenary meeting took place, titled “Case in court: legal problems of Russian business.”

The plenary meeting became, in a way, a trial over Russia's legal system itself. The hearing saw several important questions raised, including why some lawyers speak of developments in Russia's legal systems and yet others note its impending demise; why businessmen name law enforcement and administrative agencies as some of the most important risk factors in their work; and of whether it is possible to see real justice in modern Russia.

The moderators of the discussion were attorney Vadim Klyuvgant and Director General of the Biel OOO, lawyer Laris Ryabchenko. Highly-qualified experts helped hold the trial: chief expert of the Center for Legal and Economic Research Andrey Fedotov, former Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation Alexander Arifulin, Vice President of the International Court at the International Chamber of Commerce Vladimir Khvaley, and partner of the international legal office “Baker and McKenzie” Evgeniy Arievich.

Participants of the trial were able to share their personal experiences on the subject in debates that took place after the experts' speeches.

The moderators then summarized the discussion. While Larisa Ryabchenko waselatively optimistic, Vadim Klyuvgant was much harsher towards the legal system on trial. He noted that the certain progress that the legal system has made was entirely offset by the repressions against businessmen through current criminal and procedural methods. According to Klyuvgant, there is a problem with the judges, with the fact that “making an honest decision should not be equivalent to mounting the scaffold for a judge. It should be the normal way of doing things.” Klyuvgant proposed two ways of solving at least some of the problems: the necessity for dialogue between the legal system and those whom it serves and legitimate social pressure on the system.

Concluding the meeting, Yuri Raskin reminded the gathering of the fact that there is a Board for Safety and Protection of Business at the Congress College, and that all of these questions must necessarily be a part of its day-to-day practical activities.