Spain is considered an attractive market for legal operations and international lawyers, especially those from Latin America. Spanish law firms are more frequently considering hiring international talent. However, they reported that it would be beneficial to clarify the regulations to facilitate their incorporation. In this way, we can take advantage of the opportunities that arise from our cultural affinity with Latin America. This is one of the main conclusions of the recently published report prepared by IE Law School’s LawAhead Center on the Legal Profession, «Engaging Foreign Lawyers: Considerations for the Spanish legal sector.»

This is the first report published by IE Law School’s LawAhead Center on the Legal Profession, chaired by Luis de Carlos. This innovative and pioneering center encourages reflection on the challenges and opportunities of the legal sector within Spain and at a global level. The Center was initially made up of large business law firms such as CMS Albiñana, Cuatrecasas, Gómez Acebo y Pombo, Garrigues, Pérez-Llorca, Roca Junyent, Sagardoy Abogados and Uría Menéndez. Recently, other companies such as Caixabank, Microsoft and Telefónica have joined. All these institutions express their commitment to promote the exchange of knowledge and research in the sector and among legal professionals, in order to achieve a long-term impact on society.

The study concluded that over the last decade, the rules that regulate access to the profession have generated additional barriers for international lawyers interested in practicing in Spain, and the degree recognition process for foreign degrees is not clear. According to the report, this highlights the need for a regulatory review to eliminate these difficulties in the incorporation of foreign talent in the Spanish legal sector—difficulties that especially penalize those from outside the European Union and European Economic Area.

The document also points out that the proportion of foreign students enrolled in the different master’s degrees in law in Spain is remarkably high. In fact, 36% of master’s students in law in Spain in 2022-23 were of Latin American origin. However, in the Máster de Acceso a la Abogacía, foreign students account for a minimum percentage (5.4% in 2022-23), due to the requirement of a Spanish bachelor’s degree.

«It would be convenient to facilitate the recognition of law degrees, especially from Latin American countries, to allow their incorporation into the Máster de Acceso a la Abogacía. In this way, the desired balance between the need for foreign experience and talent and the preservation of quality could be achieved,» highlights Luis de Carlos, president of IE Law School’s LawAhead Center on the Legal Profession at IE University and former president of Uría Menéndez.

Aside from this report, IE Law School’s LawAhead Center on the Legal Profession, created in 2023, has held a dozen seminars and events. Throughout this time, more than 500 attendees have enjoyed outstanding talks promoting the debate around legal trends. Speakers have included David B. Wilkins, Faculty Director of the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession; Pablo Isla, President of the International Advisory Board of IE University and former president of Inditex; and many others.

Watch the news coverage from Expansión here.