IE Law School co-hosts the first global meeting of academic centers on the legal profession, alongside Harvard Law School, marking the launch of a new international network.
The LawAhead Center at IE Law School, in collaboration with the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession, was pleased to co-host the First Global Meeting of Centers on the Legal Profession on April 6 and 7 at the IE Tower in Madrid.
This pioneering event brought together academic and professional leaders from the legal sector to launch a new global network of institutions dedicated to the future of legal education and practice.
The launch of the network was marked by an inaugural panel featuring representatives from all seven founding members — Bucerius Law School, Fordham University, Georgetown University, Harvard University, IE University, King’s College London, and Tilburg University — who discussed the major challenges currently facing the legal profession worldwide.
The meeting welcomed renowned experts from leading universities to share ideas, present key initiatives, and explore joint projects across jurisdictions, including:
- David B. Wilkins, Director of the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession
- Luis de Carlos, President of the LawAhead Center at IE Law School
- Madeleine Bernhardt, Director of the Bucerius Center on the Legal Profession
- Bruce Green, Stein Professor of Law and Director at Fordham Law School
- Chloe Sheppick, Senior Lecturer at King’s College London
- Jonah Perlin, Associate Professor of Legal Practice at Georgetown University
- Esther Keymolen, Professor of Digital Technology Regulation, Philosophy, and Ethics of Technology at Tilburg University
Together, these institutions addressed some of the key challenges and transformations shaping the legal profession today—such as the impact of new technologies, emerging business models, and the future of legal education and professional development.
The event also gathered over 70 legal professionals, including partners from top-tier law firms and general counsel from major corporations, highlighting the crucial role of collaboration between academia and the legal industry.
About the LawAhead Center at IE Law School
The IE Law School’s LawAhead Center on the Legal Profession fosters reflection on the challenges and opportunities facing the legal sector in Spain and globally. 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. More recently, major corporations such as AENA, CaixaBank, Mapfre, Microsoft, and Telefónica have also joined the initiative.