Bringing Together the World’s Bar Associations

Several Key Events are held for Bar Associations and Member Organisations Each Year.

Next event : September 05, 2023

“The Wellbeing of the Lawyer?”

Lawyer wellbeing has become an crucial topic for bar associations across the world. For example, the Bar Council and Law Society (England and Wales); the Canadian Bar Association; the American Bar Association; and many local and provincial bars are actively recommending that attorneys attend to their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of their partners, associates, and staff.  Much of this impetus is based on alarming statistics with respect to high levels of substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and stress among lawyers.

Robert will discuss how meaningful and sustainable wellbeing programs can be developed and offered by bar associations which could make a real difference in the mental health of their members.  He will also discuss how bar associations can promote standards for law firms and departments to address some of current structural issues in the law which negatively affect attorneys’ wellbeing.

To register, please contact Noelia Alonso Moran, nalonso@uianet.org

PROGRAMME:

  • Welcome speech - Urquiola DE PALACIO, UIA President, Spain


Guest speaker:

  • Robert CHENDER, Founder and Former Chair, New York City Bar Association Mindfulness and Wellbeing Committee & Board Member and Chair of the International Committee of the (US) Mindfulness in Law Society , United States


Moderator:

  • Joachim BILE-AKA, 1st Vice President of the International Bar Leaders' Senate, Côte d’Ivoire


Conclusions:

  • Alfonso PEREZ-CUELLAR MARTINEZ, 2nd Vice President of the International Bar Leaders‘ Senate, Mexico
Several Key Events are held for Bar Associations and Member Organisations Each Year.

2023

In this post-pandemic era, many lawyers increasingly are choosing to work from home. Benefits include saving on travel time, more and better family time, and more flexibility in general. But are there downsides to consider? Loss of mentoring for younger lawyers, less opportunity for creative working sessions with colleagues and less collegiality with colleagues generally.

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The UIA – together with other lawyers’ organisations such as the CCBE – actively participates as an observer in the work undertaken by the Council of Europe's Committee of Experts on the Protection of Lawyers (CJ-AV) towards drafting an international convention aimed at strengthening the protection of the legal profession and the right to practice the profession without prejudice or restraint.

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Pro bono law services have never been more needed and our Bar Associations have never had a greater opportunity to help fill that need. In helping to fill the need for pro bono work, Bar Associations can simultaneously help many younger attorneys gain valuable hands-on experience working directly with clients, appearing in court and so on.

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Registration at nalonso@uianet.org
 
 
2021

 

UIA Event for Bar Leaders

2020

 


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UIA Open Forum for Bar Leaders

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The International Bar Leaders Senate (IBLS)

This is one of the rare places where bar leaders can meet to facilitate the progress of law at the international level. The IBLS encourages development and progress in professional policies relating to the profession’s key principles, including discussion on the preparation of a world ethics code and the fight against breaches of professional secrecy.               

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UIA Bar Leaders’ Briefing at the United Nations

These are unique opportunities to meet colleagues and representatives of international associations in an iconic venue. These summits permit bar leaders to keep up to date with current debates at the United Nations on international law and to meet experts in various fields from around the world. Recent events included the 2016 session on migration, the Rule of Law, and atrocity crimes; the 2017 session on the refugee crisis; and the 2018 session on modern day slavery.

2017 UIA Bar Leaders' Briefing at the UN Headquarters in Geneva 

International report on Professional Secrecy and Legal Privilege

November 2019

 

The UIA facilitates the sharing of experiences among bar associations and lawyers’ organisations from around the world to contribute to the development of law at the international level.

 

Bar associations within our organisation are able to contribute to the establishment of an international legal order based upon the principle of justice between nations. We also help our members understand the challenges that the legal profession is facing at an international level and the organisation of professional governing bodies. One of the UIA's main objectives is to commit to the defence of lawyers and the protection of their rights to practice law.

Bar Associations join the UIA :
  • To build and maintain a network of relationships by meeting colleagues from other bar associations and lawyers’ organisations throughout the world.
  • To get involved in actions that defend human rights, lawyers and the Rule of Law.
  • To support bar associations of young or struggling democracies in countries where the legal system is under pressure.
  • To be aware of actions taken by member bar associations that are published by the UIA and its communication resources throughout the world.
  • To connect with international bodies, such as the UN, ICC, ICCBA and the Council of Europe, to provide a genuine opportunity for bar associations to make their voices heard on the international legal scene.
  • To contribute to legal publications, resolutions and charters addressing international legal issues.
  • To obtain Continuing Legal Education through seminars and conferences that offer international training courses on current topics to the host bar association and its members.

 

UIA Task Force for Collective Members

Joachim Bile-Aka – 1st Vice President of the International Bar Leaders' Senate.
Alfonso Pérez-Cuellar Martínez – 2d Vice President of the International Bar Leaders' Senate.

Rosa Isabel Peña Sastre – Co Director Collective Members
Murray Levin- Co Director Collective Members
Nadine Dossou-Sakponou - Deputy Director Collective Members

Membership

There are many advantages that a UIA membership has to offer.

If you are interested in receiving further information about the collective membership and fees, please contact Noelia Alonso Morán at nalonso@uianet.org

You can also contact the UIA office by telephone at: +33 1 44 88 55 66.

 

Becoming a collective member of the UIA means :
  • Support and be involved in UIA actions for the protection of lawyers and Rule of Law across the world.
  • Gain support from UIA should the Bar or its members be under undue pressure or experience difficulties
  • Engage in the UN Briefing for Bar Leaders events
  • Participate in the UIA Bar Leaders Day at Congress and have the opportunity to chair a session
  • Participate in and speak  at the UIA Bar Leaders International Senate
  • Take part in webinars and coffee chats
  • Gain international exposure for your Bar through UIA membership
  • Benefit from discounted rates at Congress for up to 10 bar representatives, worth about €4,000 in total.
  • Benefit from discounted rates at seminars for up to 10 bar representatives, worth about €500 per seminar (UIA organizes c.20 seminars each year)
  • Receive two subscriptions to the UIA quarterly magazine, Juriste International
  • Have the opportunity to write for the quarterly magazine, Juriste International
  • Be featured for free in the UIA annual directory
  • Benefit from training courses organized for members of your Bar on specific topics