As the year draws to a close, the International Bar Association (IBA) has published its Legal Agenda 2025 (the Agenda or updated Agenda). It identifies the promotion and defence of the rule of law as the most pressing concern facing lawyers globally. The 2025 edition of the publication marks a significant change from the IBA Legal Agenda launched in 2023, which ranked artificial intelligence (AI) as the top priority for lawyers.

In the 2023 edition of the Agenda, the promotion and defence of the rule of law was positioned seventh on a list of thematic priority areas after AI; environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues; client and mandate acceptance; talent attraction and retention; the perception of the profession; and cross-border advice. The recalibrated priority will shape the global legal profession in the coming years.

Jaime Carey, IBA President and Senior Partner of Carey, Chile’s largest law firm, remarked: ‘The IBA Legal Agenda 2025 serves as both a reflection on the challenges lawyers currently face and a call to action for the years ahead. It is a notable shift that issues relating to the rule of law have replaced AI as the top priority in the Agenda. The rule of law can no longer be assumed to be secure, even in jurisdictions that have traditionally led by example. The updated Agenda reflects the profession’s collective responsibility to defend judicial independence, uphold professional integrity and engage more actively with society on why the rule of law matters. This repositions the role of lawyers beyond traditional practice and towards societal leadership and citizenship functions.’

Claudio Visco, IBA President-Elect and Senior Partner at Lipani Legal&Tax, commented: ‘The 2025 update to the Legal Agenda recognises that lawyers are operating at the intersection of rapid technological change, geopolitical uncertainty and rising public expectations. From the regulation of artificial intelligence to ESG divergence and talent pressures, the Agenda positions the global legal profession not only as a provider of legal services, but as a central pillar in upholding democratic values, managing technological change and maintaining public trust in an increasingly complex world.’

The Agenda identifies the most critical challenges facing the legal profession with the aim of providing thought leadership and developing practical solutions to the issues raised. The 2023 publication followed discussions with leaders of international and national law firms, as well as in-house counsel, from around the globe. To inform the 2025 edition, two further sets of consultations were held in April 2024 and June 2025.

Selected from the three perspectives of substantive law developments, challenges faced by the legal profession and legal issues affecting society in general, the Agenda includes the key areas of:

Rule of law at risk – even in traditional strongholds

There is a growing sense that the rule of law is increasingly under threat, including in jurisdictions that have historically championed it, such as Europe and the United States. The Agenda underscores the need for a renewed collective effort to defend, explain and promote the rule of law – particularly the independence of the judiciary and of the legal profession – to wider society. To this end, the IBA is launching a video campaign aimed at young people designed to improve understanding of the rule of law and its relevance to their day-to-day lives, reinforcing the profession’s broader civic responsibility.

AI regulation continues to evolve moving from theory to practice

While AI remains a critical issue, the 2025 Agenda reflects its transition from an emerging concern to a regulatory and operational reality. Clients are increasingly requesting AI-based legal services that are not yet within the scope of existing regulations. Although some jurisdictions have introduced AI regulations – including the European Union, where the AI Act entered into force in August 2024 – significant divergence across regions is expected to persist. Furthermore, the development of bespoke AI systems in law firms might require adapted business models and a revisiting of the traditional hourly billing structures.

Talent, technology and new partnership models

Talent attraction and retention remains a central challenge for the legal profession. However, AI and non-equity partnerships may go some way to improving the situation. AI is opening up a new line of recruitment in the legal profession for technologists to work alongside lawyers. Non-equity partnerships for senior lawyers have increasingly become a way of retaining talent, allowing firms to expand their partner ranks and remain competitive. The Agenda also identifies that talent retention in the US particularly has been affected by broader political and regulatory developments, including the government’s imposition of sanctions on some law firms.

Reputation, public trust and the role of lawyers

The updated Agenda warns that law firms’ reputations may be damaged if they are viewed as being too focused on commerciality. To improve the public perception of the legal profession, the IBA encourages law firms and legal institutions to clearly articulate their role as guardians of justice, democracy and the rule of law. Enhancing the public perception of the profession is identified as a shared responsibility of law firms, bar associations, law societies and international organisations, including the IBA.

ESG and inclusion in a fragmented regulatory environment

The Agenda also addresses the increasing divergence in ESG and inclusion policies across jurisdictions, creating complex compliance challenges for legal professionals working across borders. In some regions ESG measures are compulsory, while in others they are optional or are actively restricted. In response, the IBA Diversity Council reaffirms its commitment to advancing and strengthening diversity and inclusion both within the IBA and across the wider legal profession.

Taken together, these issues position lawyers as not only legal advisers but institutional stewards, technology gatekeepers and public actors in a time of global uncertainty. The IBA notes that the challenges facing the profession are no longer confined to courtrooms or boardrooms – they increasingly sit at the intersection of law, society, technology and democracy itself. The global legal profession is speaking, the IBA is listening and attempting to respond and to be a participant in high-level debates.

The IBA will continue consultations in 2026 with the aim of following the fast developments in the areas already identified and possible new challenges.

ENDS

Contact: IBApressoffice@int-bar.org

Notes

1. Click here to download the IBA Legal Agenda 2025.

2. The IBA Legal Agenda was initially launched in 2023 by former IBA President Almudena Arpón de Mendívil Aldama. Click the below links to download the IBA Legal Agenda 2023:

   • English
   • Spanish

3. The IBA Legal Agenda 2025 in summary:

   • Rule of law leadership: lawyers are increasingly positioned as active public guardians of the fundamental principles of democracy.

   • AI integration and regulation: firms must build specialised expertise in AI policy and operational transformation.

   • ESG complexity: ESG has become a compliance and market strategy issue, not just a values priority.

   • Talent strategy evolution: workforce dynamics are now a strategic competitive priority.

   • Geopolitics and client acceptance: cross-border risk and ethical frameworks require sharper tools.

   • Reputation management: public perception and purpose-driven narratives will shape professional legitimacy.

   • Ethical collaboration globally: greater need for harmonised ethical standards and bar association/law society cooperation.

4. The International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the legal profession, is the foremost organisation for international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. Established in 1947, shortly after the creation of the United Nations, it was born out of the conviction that an organisation made up of the world's bar associations could contribute to global stability and peace through the administration of justice.

   The IBA acts as a connector, enabler, and influencer, for the administration of justice, fair practice, and accountability worldwide. The IBA has collaborated on a broad range of ground-breaking, international projects with the United Nations, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, The Commonwealth, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, among others.

5. Find the IBA (@IBAnews) on social media here:
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   • x.com/IBAevents
   • bsky.app/profile/ibanews.bsky.social
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