Dear Colleagues,
I would like to extend a warm welcome to the Commission on “The Future of the Lawyer” and invite you to join us as we carry out the crucial task of thinking about the future of our profession.
Our purpose is not to conduct a study of the future “of the profession,” as just an officer within the justice system, but rather to focus on the future “of the lawyer” with an emphasis on the lawyer’s own personal actions within the performance of its professional ethical duties. The Commission’s work revolves around the person defending a person.
This perspective has encouraged us to make a joint effort to preserve the essential elements of the lawyer’s role in the face of fundamental political, economic, and social shifts, deep social changes, and core challenges to our middle classes. This demanding and challenging future is already upon us and urges us not only to reflect on these issues, but on how to protect the integrity of our profession.
Some of the key question marks that our Commission—and our profession as a whole—are confronted to, are: What formalism will remain in the conduct of our guaranteed rights? How will respect for due process survive in an environment that is increasingly bound to immediacy? How much of our advisory function will be converted into a simple commodity?
The Commission on “The Future of the Lawyer” continues to reflect on these and other pressing questions through reasoned discussions that focus on the changes that are necessary to preserve the core values of our profession.
I would also like to take the opportunity to pay a heartfelt tribute to Urquiola DE PALACIO, Huguette ANDRE-CORET, Bernard CAHEN, Luis DELGADO DE MOLINA HERNANDEZ and Gérald TREMBLAY, my predecessors in the leadership of the work of this Commission and who continue to contribute to the Commission’s work with their advice and active participation. It is a tremendous responsibility to continue the work they have carried out. This is not, however, a task that should be, or that is taken alone. On the contrary, joint reflection and the integration of the experiences from different regions make this task especially interesting and enriching.
I hope we can rely on your support and work in the Commission.
Welcome to “The Future of the Lawyer”
Aníbal Sabater
President of the Commission
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