The President of the International Bar Association (IBA), Horacio Bernardes Neto, is to feature in an episode of The Mentorship Chat – a Law Students’ Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN) webinar series – on Sunday 24 May at 6pm (GMT +1). At the invitation of LAWSAN President, Emmanuel Nwobodo, Mr Bernardes will speak on the topic of Building a Legal Career Across Boundaries; Leveraging Opportunities in International Law Practice. Click here to register.
On his upcoming participation in The Mentorship Chat, Mr Bernardes, Senior Partner at Brazilian law firm Motta Fernandes Advogados, said: ‘It is an honour to be invited by President Nwobodo to participate in this virtual conversation. I am eager to share what I have learnt from 40 years as a practising international lawyer, and from countless exchanges with IBA members, about what it takes for lawyers to succeed in the international arena.’
Mr Nwobodo commented: ‘On behalf of LAWSAN, I am delighted to welcome IBA President Horacio Bernardes Neto to our next webinar, which is open to every law student or young lawyer who aspires to build or expand an international law practice. It is a special honour to host, virtually, an IBA President who has made Africa a priority during his two-year tenure. This is the latest of Mr Bernardes’ many efforts to strengthen the IBA’s ties with the Nigerian legal community and to build the capacity of Nigerian lawyers and law students.’
In its role as the global voice of the legal profession, the IBA is committed to providing support to law students, lawyers at all stages of their careers and vital research into important legal issues. Recently, the IBA’s Young Lawyers’ Committee and Legal Policy & Research Unit recently launched a global research project that aims to bridge the gap between younger and more seasoned legal professionals. A key component of this project is the anonymous Young Lawyers Survey, which can be accessed online and is open to all lawyers across the world aged 40 years or younger. In a direct message to the IBA membership, Mr Bernardes’ actively encouraged young lawyers to contribute to the survey.
Cognizant of the changing landscape of the legal profession for new entrants, Mr Bernardes commented: ‘Young lawyers today are facing a very different set of challenges from the ones my contemporaries and I faced as young lawyers some decades ago. The phrase “artificial intelligence” was not in our lexicon, and, even as recently as ten years ago, it was hard to imagine that it would come to play such an important role in the practice of law. Advancements in technology are just one of the many seismic changes to which we must adjust.’ He continued: ‘Young lawyers are inherently more adaptable to fluctuating circumstances. We want to learn from them and, at the same time, discover what unique concerns they have about their future in the legal profession. I urge every eligible lawyer to participate in the survey to help us understand the issues young lawyers are facing so that together we can drive positive change.’
I commend this and appreciate the organisers.
Every law student and lawyers most aspire to and build international best practices and career.