Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram

Graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw (2006), she completed a postgraduate degree in medical law, bioethics, and sociology.{{Cite web|date=2016-11-15|title=Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram|url=https://prawo.gazetaprawna.pl/artykuly/992813,sylwia-gregorczyk-abram.html|access-date=2021-12-26|website=prawo.gazetaprawna.pl|language=pl}} In 2010 she was admitted to the Warsaw Bar as an advocate.

Since 2006 professionally affiliated with Clifford Chance law office in Warsaw, where she is responsible for pro bono legal practice.{{Cite web|title=Clifford Chance {{!}} Sylwia Gregorczyk – Abram|url=https://www.cliffordchance.com/content/cliffordchance/people_and_places/people/lawyers/pl/sylwia_gregorczyk_abram.html|access-date=2021-12-26|website=Clifford Chance|language=en}} She specialises in legal proceedings as well as civil and criminal law.{{Cite web|title=Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram {{!}} Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich|url=https://bip.brpo.gov.pl/pl/content/kpo/osoba/adw-sylwia-gregorczyk-abram|access-date=2021-12-26|website=bip.brpo.gov.pl}} In April 2016 she became a proxy for cooperation with non-governmental organisations at the Warsaw Bar Association. In recognition of her legal and public activity, in 2021 she was chosen Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellow at Yale University.{{Cite web|title=Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram|url=https://worldfellows.yale.edu/person/sylwia-gregorczyk-abram/|access-date=2021-12-26|website=Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellows Program|language=en-US}}

Throughout her career, Gregorczyk-Abram has provided pro bono legal advice to non-governmental organisations which promote the rule of law and advocate for a systemic reform of the Poland’s judiciary, including the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Habitat for Humanity Poland or Court Watch Poland Foundation.{{Cite web|last=Walencik|first=Ireneusz|title=Prawniczka z Clifford Chance najlepsza w wolontariacie pro bono {{!}} Rynek Prawniczy|url=http://rynekprawniczy.pl/2017/05/12/prawniczka-z-clifford-chance-najlepsza-w-wolontariacie-pro-bono/|access-date=2021-12-26|language=pl-PL}} She is a member of the board of Zbigniew Holda Association,{{Cite web|date=2016-10-20|title=O Stowarzyszeniu|url=https://stowarzyszenieholda.pl/o-stowarzyszeniu/|access-date=2021-12-26|website=Stowarzyszenie im. prof. Zbigniewa Hołdy}} where she ran "Constitutional Week" – a nationwide initiative of lawyers who give lessons about the Polish Constitution in primary and secondary schools.{{Cite web|date=2021-11-29|title=Lawyers turn to romcoms in fight for rule of law in Poland|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/29/lawyers-turn-to-romcoms-in-fight-for-rule-of-law-in-poland|access-date=2021-12-26|website=the Guardian|language=en}}

{{See also|Protests against Polish judiciary reforms}}

In 2017, amid a series of public protests against the judiciary reforms introduced by the Law and Justice (PiS) government, along with Maria Ejchart-Dubois, Paulina Kieszkowska-Knapik and Michał Wawrykiewicz, she co-founded the Free Courts Civic Initiative (Inicjatywa Obywatelska “Wolne Sądy”).{{Cite web|title=Lawyers from 'Free Courts' win European Citizens' Prize|url=https://wbj.pl/lawyers-from-free-courts-win-european-citizens-prize/post/129811|access-date=2021-12-26|website=wbj.pl|language=en}} In December 2019, the group organised a series of public protests against the proposed legislation that allowed the newly formed Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court of Poland to punish judges who engage in what the government deemed "political activity".{{Cite web|last=Zbytniewska|first=Karolina|date=2019-12-20|title='Free Courts' activists: Poland makes another big step towards Polexit|url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/interview/free-courts-activists-poland-makes-another-big-step-towards-polexit/|access-date=2021-12-26|website=www.euractiv.com|language=en-GB}}{{Cite news|last1=Popp|first1=Maximilian|last2=Puhl|first2=Jan|date=2021-08-13|title=Poland's Judges Are Fighting To Save Rule of Law and Their Own Jobs|language=en|work=Der Spiegel|url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/poland-s-judges-are-fighting-to-save-rule-of-law-and-their-own-jobs-a-fdf982c4-4a94-407d-b671-550e9a8ba14b|access-date=2021-12-26|issn=2195-1349}}{{Cite news|last=Ojewska|first=Natalia|date=2019-12-20|title=Polish Parliament Backs Judicial Bill Opposed by EU|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/polish-parliament-backs-judicial-bill-opposed-by-eu-11576881262|access-date=2021-12-26|issn=0099-9660}} In 2018, she was among co-founders of the Komitet Obrony Sprawiedliwości (KOS, Justice Defence Committee).{{Cite web|last=INPRIS|title=Justice Defence Committee (KOS) is set up {{!}} INPRIS|url=http://www.inpris.pl/en/whats-going-on-at-inpris/article/t/powstal-komitet-obrony-sprawiedliwosci-kos/|access-date=2021-12-26|website=www.inpris.pl|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Kompała|first=Martyna|date=2021-09-08|title=Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram: Zapowiedź kar finansowych dla Polski oznacza, że żarty się skończyły [WYWIAD]|url=https://www.euractiv.pl/section/instytucje-ue/interview/sylwia-gregorczyk-abram-wolne-sady-tsue-unia-europejska-komisja-europejska-polska-izba-dyscyplinarna-sn-malgorzata-manowska-zbigniew-ziobro-jaroslaw-kaczynski/|access-date=2021-12-26|website=www.euractiv.pl|language=pl-PL}}

In 2019, Gregorczyk-Abram successfully represented LGBT+ groups on a pro bono basis in their legal motion against a pro-government conservative Polish newspaper Gazeta Polska which resulted in the court’s decision to halt the distribution of controversial “LGBT-free zone” stickers.{{Cite web|title=Clifford Chance {{!}} Clifford Chance leads LGBT groups to victory in Poland|url=https://www.cliffordchance.com/content/cliffordchance/news/news/2019/08/-clifford-chance-leads-lgbt-groups-to-victory-in-poland.html|access-date=2021-12-26|website=Clifford Chance|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Clifford Chance Helps Fight Anti-LGBT Stunt In Poland – Law360|url=https://www.law360.com/articles/1200567/clifford-chance-helps-fight-anti-lgbt-stunt-in-poland|access-date=2021-12-26|website=www.law360.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2019-07-26|title=Polish magazine dismisses court ruling on 'LGBT-free zone' stickers|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/lgbt-rights-polish-paper-dismisses-court-ruling-on-lgbt-free-zone-stickers/|access-date=2021-12-26|website=POLITICO|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|date=2019-07-25|title=Poland court bans 'LGBT-free zone' sticker from sale|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49122087|access-date=2021-12-26}} She also served as a representative of judges appealing to the Court of Justice of the European Union in joint case C-585/18, C-624/18iC-625/18A.K,{{Cite web|date=2020-01-28|title=50 najbardziej wpływowych prawników 2019 [RANKING DGP]|url=https://www.gazetaprawna.pl/galeria/1450333,50-najbardziej-wplywowych-prawnikow-2019-ranking-dgp.html|access-date=2021-12-26|website=www.gazetaprawna.pl|language=pl}} concerning the independence of the Disciplinary Chamber of the Polish Supreme Court as well as in the case C-487/19 of a Polish judge Waldemar Żurek questioning his transfer to another court,{{Cite web|date=2021-10-06|title=Poland's transfer of judge without his consent undermines judicial independence, EU court rules|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-judicial-independence-supreme-court-court-of-justice-european-union-cjeu/|access-date=2021-12-26|website=POLITICO|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title='We, in Poland, are witnessing a unique revolution in Poland against the rule of law' – Rule of Law|url=https://ruleoflaw.pl/we-in-poland-are-witnessing-a-unique-revolution-in-poland-against-the-rule-of-law/|access-date=2021-12-26|website=ruleoflaw.pl}} which both ended with a ruling undermining the legality of the reforms introduced by the Polish government.{{Cite web|last=Kaczyński|first=Piotr Macej|date=2021-10-07|title=Court of Justice slams Polish judiciary reform, again|url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/court-of-justice-slams-polish-judiciary-reform-again/|access-date=2021-12-26|website=www.euractiv.com|language=en-GB}}

{{Commons category|Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram}}

• 2016 – "Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year" prize by the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita{{Cite web|title=Prawnikiem Pro Bono 2016 została mec. Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram|url=https://www.rp.pl/bezplatna-pomoc-prawna/art10514651-prawnikiem-pro-bono-2016-zostala-mec-sylwia-gregorczyk-abram|access-date=2021-12-26|website=Rzeczpospolita|language=pl}}
• 2016 – "Rising Stars – Prawnicy liderzy jutra 2016", organised by Wolters Kluwer and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna{{Cite web|title=V edycja konkursu Wolters Kluwer i Dziennika Gazety Prawnej Rising Stars|url=https://www.wolterskluwer.com/pl-pl/news/v-edycja-konkursu-wolters-kluwer-i-dziennika-gazety-prawnej-rising-stars-prawnicy-liderzy-jutra-2016|access-date=2021-12-26|website=www.wolterskluwer.com|language=pl-pl}}
• 2019 – "Złoty Paragraf" in the category of best advocates, awarded by Dziennik Gazeta Prawna{{Cite web|title=Adw. Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram laureatką Złotego Paragrafu|url=http://www.adwokatura.pl/ogolnoprawne/adw-sylwia-gregorczyk-abram-laureatka-zlotego-paragrafu/|access-date=2021-12-26|website=Naczelna Rada Adwokacka – Warszawa|language=pl}}
• 2020 – European Citizens’ Prize (as a member of the Wolne Sądy)

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Category:1982 births

Category:Living people

Category:Lawyers from Warsaw

Category:University of Warsaw alumni