The International Bar Association was established in 1947, not long after the creation of the United Nations. The principles behind the establishment of the International Bar Association revolved around the conviction that if the bar associations of the world came together in one organisation, the administration of justice through this umbrella organisation would contribute to peace and global stability.  

Today, the IBA acts as the global voice of the international legal profession and is recognised as the premier organisation for law societies, bar associations and international legal practitioners. In its earliest days, the IBA was comprised solely of law societies and bar associations. Over the past 70 years it has evolved and today includes membership incorporating entire law firms and individual international lawyers.  

Dr Edgar Paltzer served as an LPD Council Member of the IBA from 2009 to 2012, and prior to that as Chair of the individual Tax and Private Client Committee from 2004 to 2006. There are more than 80,000 individual lawyers forming part of the present membership of the IBA. 

The embedded PDF looks at the organisational membership of the IBA. 

IBA Aims and Objectives 

The IBA aims to shape the legal profession’s future on a global scale and influence law reform development internationally. Through its constituents, committees and divisions, the IBA works to achieve three key objectives. These are the promotion of information exchanges between international legal associations; the support of judiciary independence and lawyers rights to practise their profession with no interference; and the support of lawyers’ human rights through the IBAHRI, or the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute. 

The IBAHRI was established under Nelson Mandela’s honorary presidency in 1995 and operates with a mission statement of protecting, enforcing and promoting human rights by ensuring a just rule of law. The IBAHRI takes on various projects as part of this mission in the fields of rule of law and human rights, with particular focus on fair trial rights and the independence of the judiciary. 

Some more facts about membership of the International Bar Association in figures can be found in the embedded infographic. 

Dr Edgar Paltzer

Conferences and Events 

The IBA hosts numerous conferences and events throughout each calendar year across every region of the world. These include the world’s largest international legal community gathering in the form of the Annual Conference, which facilitates learning, discussion and debate in a rich environment, as well as creating opportunities for individuals to network, forge new professional relationships and generate new business.  

The IBA Annual Conference 2020 will take place from the 1st to the 6th of November in Miami. The many other events in 2020 include 25th International Private Client Conference which will take place in London on 2-3 March 2020, the 6th Annual Global Entrepreneurship Conference which will take place in Amsterdam in May, the 23rd Annual Arbitration Day in Istanbul in March, and the 7th Annual Corporate Governance Conference in Frankfurt in December. 

Divisions and Committees 

All aspects of the International Bar Association can be grouped into two main divisions. These are the Public and Professional Interest Division and the Legal Practice DivisionAll professional interests and practice areas are covered by the IBA, providing all members with ongoing access to up-to-date information and advice from leading experts in their field. Each division is further sub-divided into a series of committees, with systems in place to facilitate the exchange of information across divisions and committees as required. 

In the short video attachment, you can learn more about the Bar Issues Commission of the International Bar Association.