IBA Launches Impact Project. “We aim to perform a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative assessment of the socioeconomic impact of the legal profession and identify concrete ways in which it can be enhanced and better communicated.”

Here’s the letter from the president

Dear Colleagues,

One of my greatest aspirations as IBA President for the term 2023-2024 is highlighting the contribution of the legal profession to society, and identifying ways in which we can jointly enhance it.

Lawyers are an undeniable pillar of society. Through our day-to-day work, we contribute to strengthening and maintaining the Rule of Law, which is fundamental to socioeconomic development. Yet, this impact is often indirect and thus difficult to quantify. In some cases, our work can also be seen as having a negative impact on society.

To provide bar associations, law societies, lawyers, institutions, and the broader society with evidence of the socioeconomic impact of the legal profession, the IBA has launched the Impact Project. The project aims to perform a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative assessment of the socioeconomic impact of the legal profession and identify concrete ways in which it can be enhanced and better communicated. This assessment will rely on different complementary data sources, including an extensive literature review and analytical exercise, expert interviews, as well as two surveys (one with members of the legal community – below, and one with the general public).

We would be honoured if you could participate in the Impact Project by providing your views in the short survey below, which is aimed at collecting input from members of the legal community. The survey should not take more than 10 minutes to complete. Your responses will be kept anonymous and the IBA will not know or record the names of participants.

The results of the assessment will be published in a report to be released in early 2024.

Thank you for your valuable participation. Through it, you are contributing to take our profession one step forward in its fundamental contribution to society.

Kind regards,

Almudena Arpón de Mendívil Aldama

IBA President (2023-2024)