Legal Policy & Research Unit
The IBA Legal Projects Director oversees the Legal Policy & Research Unit (LPRU) and the Bar Issues Commission project lawyers. The team undertakes research, and develops and implements innovative strategies, projects and initiatives that are relevant to business and the rule of law, the global legal profession and the broader global community.
Sara Carnegie and George Artley at the IBA midyear meetings and Bar Leaders’ Conference, alongside Christina Blacklaws and IBA President Jaime Carey and his wife
George Artley contributed to a session at the 2025 OCED Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum
Anurag Bana with fellow panellists at the Commonwealth Lawyers Association Conference in Malta
Anurag Bana speaking on a panel about AI and the Workplace at the Commonwealth Lawyers Association Conference in Maltac
Sara Carnegie speaking during the 2025 FATF Private Sector Collaborative Forum in Mumbai
Sara Carnegie attends the Commonwealth Lawyers Association conference in Malta
Sara Carnegie speaks at the panel session: Life and Balance: Thriving in a High-Pressure Legal World, at the Commonwealth Lawyers Association conference in Malta
Flagship projects
Ethics and Anti-Corruption
Examining the professional role of lawyers as ethical gatekeepers within wider society and to help clarify their ethical responsibilities and obligations.
View project50:50 by 2030 Gender Project
The IBA ‘50:50 by 2030’ nine-year project aims to uncover the root-causes of the lack of gender parity at the most senior levels of the legal profession.
View projectClimate Crisis
The increase in global temperatures and rising sea levels represents an urgent and potentially irreversible threat to humanity and life on the planet.
View projectMental Wellbeing
The IBA has embarked on a global campaign to address the mental health crisis in the legal profession, bringing together research and resources from around the world.
View project
News and recent releases
Our areas of work
Select an area of work to see all relevant projects.
Digital Disruptive Innovation
Bar related project work
Future Trends and Focus
Business and Ethics
Reports
The LPRU have created and contributed to a number of legal reports, articles and guidance documents.
Legal Internship Programme
Intern positions are available for undergraduate law students, postgraduate law students, and newly qualified lawyers.
How to applyProject Proposal Process
Could your project benefit from the support of the IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit?
Find out moreIn 2024 the LPRU:
Participated in over 40 global events
Won Gender Equality Initiative of the Year at the Women & Diversity in Law Awards
Attended five UN events
Founded a Climate Registry for bars
Published nine reports/articles
Contributed to five podcasts
External engagement
LPRU and UN Engagement in 2024
In 2024 the LPRU continued with its global engagement and advocacy on critical policy priorities including climate change, anti-corruption and legal ethics. Our commitment to amplify the IBA's voice on the international stage is evidenced in our multilateral interactions with the United Nations and affiliated organisations, including recent attendance at COP29 and CoSP.
Upcoming events
16
JUN
LPRU attends event on Prosecuting Russian Environmental War Crimes
LPRU's George Artley travels to The Hague to attend this event, part of the Benjamin Ferencz Lecture Series on International Criminal Justice. This session explores the ways in which Russia has targeted the environment as a means of attaining military advantage, demoralizing the population, and rendering parts of the country uninhabitable, in its war with Ukraine. Speakers, who helped prepare Ukrainian prosecutors and judges to try Russian environmental war crimes, explore how and where the perpetrators of these crimes can be brought to justice.
18
JUN
Sara Carnegie and Emily Morison co-organise ESG Primer training in Paris
The LPRU, along with the IBA European Regional Forum, the IBA North American Regional Forum, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law Section, Business Human Rights Committee & Law Firm Management Committee is convening a specialised half-day training event on 18 June 2025, designed to equip lawyers and in-house counsel with a strong technical understanding of global sustainability disclosure and due diligence landscape, the requirements and extraterritorial impacts of the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, as well as how they may be affected by the EU Omnibus Package, and practical tips for lawyers to support legal compliance and good practice environmental and human rights disclosure and due diligence in the EU and globally. Register here.
19
JUN
Sara Carnegie speaks at Women in Law Mentoring Session at WIMBIZ Nigeria
Sara Carnegie is invited by WIMBIZ (Women in Management, Business and Public Service) Women in Law Mentoring Session to present key findings from the IBA report into gender equality in the Nigerian legal profession. In alignment with WIMBIZ's 2025 focus on supporting and advancing women in the law in Nigeria, this session brings together young legal professionals and experts to discuss the challenges experienced by women in the law, and the initiatives in place to help women succeed.
19-20
JUN
LPRU supports ESG Conference in Paris
Sara Carnegie and Emily Morison support the IBA Annual ESG Conference - ESG: The Brussels effect at a crossroads. A conference presented by the IBA European Regional Forum, the IBA North American Regional Forum, the IBA Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law Section (SEERIL), the IBA Business Human Rights Committee and the IBA Law Firm Management Committee, topics covered will include: divergence of approach on ESG in North America and Europe; global regulatory shifts - exploring regional ESG perspectives with a focus on bridging the differences between the Global North and Global South; the intersection of ESG with several sector specific topics, including fashion, finance and mining; and updates from industry leaders on ESG and national security, regulatory landscapes and AI. Register here.
23
JUN
IBA co-hosts event at UNFCCC Bonn Climate Conference SB62
The IBA, alongside the American Bar Association, Brazilian Bar Association and Law Society of England and Wales, co-hosts a session at UNFCCC Bonn Climate Conference, supported by SEERIL. The session, Wise counselling in uncertain times: how lawyers can keep the international climate agenda on track, explores what climate change and broader sustainability challenges mean for lawyers’ professional roles in a changing geopolitical environment; and offers practical tools for bar associations, law firms & educational institutions to advance climate competence & uphold the global climate agenda.
25
JUN
LPRU and BIC support London Climate Action week event
This event, convened by the International Bar Association (IBA) Bar Issues Commission, the Bar Council of England and Wales, the Law Society of England and Wales, the Brazilian Bar Association, and the American Bar Association, with support from the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance & United Kingdom Environmental Law Association, brings together leaders from bar associations and legal alliances across the globe. Discussions explore how climate change is impacting legal practice and lawyers’ professional responsibilities; how bar associations and legal alliances are supporting lawyers to build climate resilient practices, and what more is needed for lawyers to become true champions of sustainability. Register here.
25-26
JUN
LPRU's Sara Carnegie and George Artley travel to Paris for the IBA's 21st Annual Anti-Corruption Conference
This specialist conference is presented by the IBA Anti-Corruption Committee, and topics will include: the US FCPA "Pause" and what this mean in practice; developments in cross-border anti-corruption: how jurisdictions will react to US "pause"?; in-house insights; the OECD’s role in the new geopolitical environment; developments in the whistleblowing area; sanctioning corruption or corrupting sanctions?; anti-corruption angles in public procurement contexts; beyond compliance – an interactive discussion, and much more. Sara will also moderate a panel on Cooperation between CSOs and law firms in fighting corruption.
30
JUN
Anurag Bana delivers keynote address at Westminster Legal Policy Forum
Anurag Bana is invited to speak at the Westminster Legal Policy Forum Keynote Seminar: Next steps for AI in the UK legal sector. Anurag joins colleagues from the Law Society, Legal Services Board, Solicitors' Regulation Authority and Information Commissioner's Office to assess next steps for the evolving use of artificial intelligence in the UK legal sector, focusing on regulatory priorities, ethical and practical considerations, and implications for legal service delivery, professional practice, and public interest outcomes. Register here.
1
JUL
LPRU hosts official side event at UN Financing for Development Conference
The LPRU, with support from the BIC and Anti-Corruption Committee, hosts an official side event - Enablers or Allies? Regulation and the Role of Professional Service Providers in the Fight for Financial Integrity - at the fourth UN Financing for Development Conference (FfD4). The conference provides a unique opportunity to reform financing at all levels, including to support reform of the international financial architecture and addressing financing challenges preventing the urgently needed investment push for the SDGs. Register here.
Recent events
5
JUN
Anurag Bana attends Parliamentary Breakfast Reception on AI
This event, How can Privacy Power the AI Revolution? jointly hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on AI and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), sees parliamentarians, industry leaders and key figures from the public and private sectors and civil society come together to discuss privacy and its role in AI innovation. As the ICO marks 40 years of data protection law, this reception explores how privacy and building public trust have been key to the success of technological change.
4
JUN
Anurag Bana invited to King's College Law School AI event
Anurag Bana is invited to participate in this seminar hosted by the Centre for Data Futures at King's College London. The invite-only event, Empowering Users of AI: Moving Beyond Passive Consumption, brings together legal experts and senior leaders in this space to discuss the pressure on businesses and public bodies to adopt in-house AI solutions, and the pioneering approach adopted by King's College to revolutionise technology design – ensuring participatory infrastructure from the moment data is generated, to the point it’s deployed in real-world decisions.
3
JUN
LPRU supports Law Firm Management Committee webinar Championing sustainability in changing times: how can law firms adapt and thrive?
The LPRU, SEERIL, Banking & Financial Law Committee and European Regional Forum, support this webinar presented by the IBA Law Firm Management Committee. In recent years, there has been a noticeable trend towards increasing corporate sustainability regulation. However, the future direction of this trend remains uncertain. This webinar brings together legal experts from across the EU and US to explore how law firms can adapt to the evolving regulatory landscape and continue to champion sustainability through their work with clients and at an operational level. Register here.
20-24
MAY
LPRU participates in IBA Mid-year meetings and Bar Leaders Conference in Milan
LPRU's Sara Carnegie, George Artley and Emily Morison travel to Milan for the IBA's Mid-year meetings and Bar Leaders Conference. Sara chairs a plenary session titled Between duty and scrutiny: navigating the evolving role of lawyers and the responsibility of bars and regulators, and alongside George, co-hosts roundtables on anti-corruption initiatives, global challenges and guidance for bars. Emily will support the BIC on its sustainability, climate and business human rights focused sessions.
15
MAY
Anurag Bana attends launch of Bar Standards Board's Tech at the Bar initiative
Anurag Bana attends the launch event for the BSB's new research into technology and innovation at the Bar. The event explores the opportunities and challenges facing the profession when it comes to adopting new technology. Lead researcher Jemma Macfadyen presents key findings from the study, followed by a panel discussion on the implications for barristers, chambers, and the wider legal community. Discussions focus on barriers to tech adoption within the Bar, how technology is impacting access to justice, and how to better support tech innovation.
14-15
MAY
Anurag Bana attends Council of Europe’s Committee on Artificial Intelligence meeting
Anurag Bana attends the 13th plenary meeting of the Council of Europe’s Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI) in an observer capacity.
13
MAY
Anurag Bana invited to reception marking Judicial Strategy for International Engagement 2025-2029
Anurag Bana has been invited to participate in this event to mark the launch of the Judicial Strategy for International Engagement 2025-2029. The event, hosted by the Lady Chief Justice at the Royal Courts of Justice, celebrates the international work of the judiciary.
12
MAY
Anurag Bana attends APPG on Artificial Intelligence
LPRU's Anurag Bana attends the All Party Parliamentary Group on AI: AI Regulation, Ethics and Governance: Where are we now, and where are we heading? This meeting explores the current state and future direction of AI regulation, ethics, and governance, with a focus on the UK’s policy landscape and global trends. Discussions focus on the UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, the response to the EU AI Act, and how to balance innovation with ethical safeguards. The session also examines industry standards and certification, as well as issues of product liability and accountability, aiming to help shape a governance framework that supports both innovation and public trust.
1
MAY
Emily Morison invited to speak at Lawyers for Climate Action New Zealand event
Emily Morison speaks at a webinar, titled Climate Conscious Lawyering - in the midst of political turbulence, convened by Climate Action New Zealand. Emily's presentation explores the challenges legal practitioners face in the wake of political upheaval and rollbacks on climate action, developments in climate legal education, as well as what can still be done to tackle the problem. Participants will discuss approaches taken in other jurisdictions and by different organisations, offer practical advice on how to be a climate conscious lawyer and talk about why climate action still matters.
26
APR
Emily Morison speaks at hybrid roundtable event Bridging the Climate Gap: Mediation and Climate Conscious Lawyering
Emily Morison speaks at this roundtable event, hosted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute in collaboration with the Islamabad High Court Bar Association, exploring the emerging role of climate conscious lawyering and capacity building at the intersection of law, policy and mediation in the context of climate change. The session aims to foster the dialogue between legal professionals, the judiciary and policy experts on how lawyers, bar associations and mediators can come together to address climate related disputes in Pakistan. Emily discusses the IBA's engagement at the UNFCCC and how legal professionals can engage with the global climate agenda in the lead up to COP30 in Brazil.