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 speaking during the 2025 FATF Private Sector Collaborative Forum in Mumbai
Sara Carnegie speaks on a panel at 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
LPRU team, new and old, on their away day at Norton Rose Fulbright, December 2024.
Emily Morison is joined by panellists following the IBA co-hosted side event Beyond national frameworks: Lawyers & law associations enhancing ambition through legal approaches at COP29 in Azerbaijan
The Legal Policy & Research Unit and IBA won awards for Gender Equality Initiative of the Year and Highly Commended for Not for Profit Organisation of the Year at the 2024 Women and Diversity in Law Awards
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
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.
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.
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.
18
JUN
LPRU attends ESG Primer in Paris
LPRU's Sara Carnegie and Emily Morison attend the ESG Primer: levelling up technical expertise in sustainability reporting and due diligence - a training session 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. This specialised half-day training event aims to enhance expertise in sustainability disclosure and due diligence, with focus on the global sustainability disclosure and due diligence landscape, including key legal frameworks and concepts; the requirements and extraterritorial impacts of the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), 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.
19-20
JUN
LPRU attends ESG Conference in Paris
Sara Carnegie and Emily Morison attend 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.
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.
Recent events
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.
6-10
APR
Sara Carnegie and Anurag Bana attend Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association conference in Malta
LPRU's Sara Carnegie and Anurag Bana travel to Malta for the 24th Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association Conference 2025. On 6 April Sara speaks at the session Life and Balance: Thriving in a High-Pressure Legal World, followed by a speed-mentoring event for young lawyers; and the following day she participates in a panel discussion about Guardians of ethics - exploring anti-money laundering laws in the Commonwealth and the delicate balance with professional privilege. Thereafter, Anurag Bana speaks on a panel about the risks and benefits of AI in the workplace, the tracking of data, the rights of the employer and employee, the use of AI to measure productivity.
2
APR
LPRU supports Session 7 of the IBA ESG Accelerator Training Programme: Governance
The IBA ESG Accelerator Training Programme is a free, specialised online ESG training focused on legal practitioners across Africa, convened by the IBA African Regional Forum, and supported by Webber Wentzel, the IBA Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law Section, the IBA Business Human Rights Committee and the LPRU. Session 7: Governance, explores why good governance matters for businesses and lawyers alike, and key trends in corporate governance requirements across Africa. Effective governance underpins sustainable business practices, ensuring accountability, transparency, equity, responsibility, competence and ethical decision-making within organisations. Register here. Watch the previous sessions here.
2-6
APR
Legal Manager George Artley attends BIC Retreat in Oslo
George Artley travels to Norway for the Bar Issues Commission Retreat where he joins BIC officers to strategise for the coming year on activity to support the IBA's member bars and law societies around the world as they navigate the shifting global legal landscape.