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Lawyers In Africa: Brokers Of The State, Intermediaries Of Globalization - A Case Study Of The "Africa" Bar In Paris, Sara Dezalay

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

Africa is the "Global Economy's Last Frontier"! Images of the African continent as a boon of mineral riches, and a new legal Far West pervade media and scholarly accounts. Yet, these images tend to reflect the protracted political and development dependency of African states, with lawyers involved in corporate dealings on the continent either denounced as mercenaries at the service of neo-colonial "looting" or idealized as missionaries of the rule of law. This article suggests a research strategy that moves away from these ideological and political accounts. It uses lawyers' trajectories and professional strategies as an entry-point to reglobalize the …