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IBA Annual Conference Scholarships

Each year the International Bar Association (IBA), the world's largest international organisation of law societies, bar associations and individual lawyers engaged in transnational law, holds an Annual Conference, which attracts the participation of some 6000 lawyers from more than 100 jurisdictions. The IBA's Legal Practice Division (LPD), Section of Public and Professional Interest Division (SPPI) present informative and engaging sessions covering current topics of significance to lawyers throughout the world.

Young Lawyer Scholarships

The Annual Conference working sessions are complemented by a full social programme which provides the opportunity for delegates to meet, establish and maintain business contacts and friendships with peers of the legal profession worldwide.

Scholarships are awarded to young lawyers who wish to participate at the Annual Conference, but may find it financially difficult to do so.

These Scholarship opportunities are available to those who meet the following criteria:

  • 'Young Lawyer’ is defined as any lawyer up to and including the age of 35 at the time of the Conference.
  • Applicants must either be:
    • a fully qualified lawyer who is licensed/registered to practice as a lawyer with the relevant professional regulatory body; or
    • undertaking the qualification process (education and/or vocational) to pass the bar (or the equivalent qualification in the relevant jurisdiction) to become fully qualified, providing they hold a temporary or permanent licence to practice as a trainee, or are undertaking a training scheme that is recognised by the professional regulatory body.
  • IBA membership is not a requirement to submit application
  • Employees of the IBA, officers of any IBA entity and relatives of the above are excluded from the competition.
  • Previous winners of any LPD/SPPI Conference Scholarships are also excluded from the competition. All other applicants from previous years may reapply.
  • Each participant may apply for one Scholarship in a calendar year.

Select Scholarships may have additional criteria.

The Annual Conference Scholarship award includes the following:

  • waived registration for the IBA Annual Conference;
  • accommodation while attending the conference;
  • contribution towards travel costs to attend the conference;
  • two years' free membership of the IBA; and
  • a waiver of either the following years' IBA Annual Conference registration fee or a waived registration fee to attend a speciality conference organised by the IBA.

2023 Annual Conference Scholarship Listing

Applications for the Academic and Professional Development Committee scholarship have now closed. If you have any questions, please contact divisions@int-bar.org

2) Access to Justice and Legal Aid Committee

Ted Talk style presentation/Essay
Please submit a Ted Talk style presentation or an essay based on the following topic:
 

ADR-how do we ensure equal access to justice in a changing legal landscape

3) African Regional Forum:

Essay topic: Should access to the internet be designated a fundamental human right?

4) Agriculture and Food Section

Essay topic: Digitisation of agriculture and food produce

5) Asia Pacific Regional Forum:

Essay topic: The future of mobility: with autonomous vehicles, passenger drones, etc. expected to forever change the way we commute, travel, and even entertain, what are the legal issues that may assume importance in this context?

6) Corporate Law Section

Essay topic: Cross border M&A transactions involving companies in emerging economies

7) Criminal Law Section

Essay topic: Do we need an International anti-corruption court to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws against corrupt leaders?

8) Dispute Resolution Section

Essay topic: What role does dispute resolution have in tackling climate change?

9) Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law Section (SEERIL)

Essay topic: Creating the first international law roadmap to net zero: where the law needs to enable climate change success, and how lawyers can get it there?

10) European Regional Forum

Essay topic: Implementing a diversity and inclusion strategy in a business law firm – a case study

11) Human Rights Law Committee

The Thomas Wilson Memorial Scholarship

Tom Wilson mentored and inspired many young lawyers throughout his career. Tom was incredibly proud of the role played by the legal profession in making an impact on society. His tireless endeavours and accomplishments resulted in the creation of an International Human Rights Committee at the State Bar of Texas of which he served as the first chair and remained an active committee member for the rest of his life. He was also a long-serving officer of the IBA Human Rights Law Committee and touched the lives of many lawyers around the world.

Essay topic: The science of torture

Essay on judicial recognition of ‘science’ of continuing effects of torture on cognitive capacity, in the context of confessions obtained by so-called ‘clean teams’. The essay should analyse:

a) relevant and recent jurisprudential developments concerning the admission of confessions taken by ‘clean teams’ that is, investigators who collect evidence from an individual who was previously tortured;

b) role of medical experts in identifying the cognitive effects of past incidents of torture, during interviews conducted by ‘clean teams’;

c) the extent to which Judges are competent to assess such issues without the benefit of medical expertise;

d) identify factors that Judges should take into consideration when assessing the admission of statements taken by ‘clean teams’.

12) Insolvency Section

Essay topic: Insolvencies are becoming increasingly international in scope and reach as companies are becoming more and more global. Please discuss an interesting international insolvency case with cross border implications. As an example, the recent bankruptcy filings of several crypto companies impact customers around the world.

13) Intellectual Property, Communications and Technology Section

Essay topic: How do you protect IPRs and privacy in the metaverse?

14) International Commerce, Trade, Franchising and Product Law Section

Essay topic: ESG in the supply chain

15) Judges' Forum

Essay topic: Fair Trials in War

16) Latin American Regional Forum

Essay topic 1: How should the Latin American Regional Forum improve communication with its members

Essay topic 2: How we can, as lawyers, improve the Rule of Law in Latin America

17) Law and Individual Rights Section

Essay topic: The impact of the metaverse in life sciences. Legal issues that arise and how to tackle them

18) Law Firm Management Committee

Essay topic: What lessons do small and medium law firms have to teach international firms about the effective management of a legal practice business?

19) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Law Committee

Essay topic: LGBTQ & family law - a global view

20) Maritime and Transport Law Committee

Essay topic: Essay addressing the Paris Agreement and its key implications for transportation of goods and passengers towards 2030 and further towards 2050.

21) North American Regional Forum

Essay topic: These fashionable times - democracy under attack

22) Poverty and Social Development Committee

Essay topic: Poverty and immigration: how lawyers help make dreams come true

23) Private Client Tax Committee

Essay topic: The issues faced by practitioners in the context of post-death administration. This could include dealing with forced heirship rules and EU Regulations Brussels IV, for example. 

24) Pro Bono Committee

Essay topic: When law firms embark on their ESG journeys, their pro bono offerings must be central to the "S". Can this be done without diminishing the integrity of pro bono?

25) Professional Ethics Committee & Alternative and New Law Business Structures Committee

Project proposal: Please submit a project proposal for the committee, based on research of the committee’s existing activities/initiatives 

26) Real Estate Section

Essay topic: The impact of environmental laws on international real estate development

27) Rule of Law Forum

Applicants will be asked to prepare a concept for a webinar or workshop in the area of: Equality Before the Law. This response should include an outline to a potential project that the Rule of Law Forum could run virtually using volunteers. The project should also be one that all bar and law societies can contribute to regardless of their size or resources.

28) Taxes Committee

Essay topic 1: Challenges and issues in alternative dispute resolution

Alternative Dispute Resolution for settling tax disputes is now available in many jurisdictions.  It has been observed that one of the potential challenges for taxpayers adopting ADR is that taxpayers lack “standing” in ADR processes such as mutual agreement or other tax dispute procedures to resolve cross-border tax disputes. Describe whether or not a taxpayer’s lack of standing in such procedures poses a challenge and your reasoning. Explain the current procedures available in your jurisdiction and the changes, if any, you’d make to address the concerns of the taxpayer or tax authorities.

Essay topic 2: Structuring an investment into a start-up

Describe how you would recommend an investor to structure their investment into a fintech or other start-up company in a tax efficient manner, with a focus on investor’s protection and efficient exit. Explain the reasons for your recommendation, including its strengths and noting any downsides relative to other options. Alternatives might include the use of specific funds, convertible bonds, pure equity or other mechanisms.

29) Young Lawyers' Committee

Project proposal: Please submit a project proposal for the committee, based on research of the committee’s existing activities/initiatives 

Past Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Annual Conference

  • Access to Justice and Legal Aid Committee - Louise Grosos, France
  • Antitrust Section - Julia Carneiro, Brazil
  • Asia Pacific Regional Forum - Utsav Mitra, India
  • Corporate Law Section - Alexander Batsis, Australia
  • Criminal Law Section - Omolola Aye, Nigeria
  • Dispute Resolution Section - Mayuri Tiwari, India
  • Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law (SEERIL) Section - Nelson Iheanacho, Nigeria
  • European Regional Forum - Ana-Mari Eremieva, Bulgaria
  • Insolvency Section - Hasan Mohammad, Australia
  • Intellectual Property, Communications and Technology Law Section - Yoo Jung Hur , Republic of Korea
  • International Commerce, Trade, Franchising and Product Law Section - Andrii Kaftanov, Ukraine
  • Law Firm Management Committee - Shreya Vajpei , India
  • Poverty and Social Development Committee - Patricia Fita Rios, Spain
  • Professional Ethics Committee - Punjabi Meghna , India
  • Real Estate Section - Ipshita Bhuwania, India
  • Taxes Committee - Rogerio Abdala Bittencourt, Brazil

Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 Conference Seoul Scholarship programme

  • Access to Justice and Legal Aid Committee - Paul Tamburro, Australia
  • African Regional Forum - Nnadozie Ewelike, Nigeria
  • Alternative and New Law Business Structures Committee and Professional Ethics Committee - Sean Colenso-Semple, the Netherlands
  • Asia Pacific Regional Forum - Gul Beste Sabaz, South Korea
  • Corporate Law Section- Luciana Liefeldt, Argentina
  • Criminal Law Section - Vaibhav Kumar, India
  • Dispute Resolution Section – Ritvik Kulkarni, India
  • European Regional Forum - Trayan Targov, Bulgaria
  • Financial Services Section - Tanish Gupta, India
  • Intellectual Property, Communications and Technology Law Section - Inika Charles, India
  • International Sales, Franchising and Product Law Section - Quentin Vander Schueren, Canada
  • Law Firm Management Committee - Wangoko Njoroge, Kenya
  • Michael Priory Insolvency Section - Myles Bayliss, Australia
  • North American Regional Forum - Tom Hvala, Australia
  • Poverty and Social Development Committee - Varun Mansinghka, India
  • Private Client Tax Committee - Martin La Rosa, Peru
  • Pro-Bono Committee - María Victoria Garabato, Uruguay
  • Real Estate Section - Vikrant Shetty, India
  • Regulation of Lawyers Compliance Committee - Durojaiye Olasubomi, Nigeria
  • Rule of Law Forum - Jori Bregasi, Albania
  • Taxes Committee - Lucia Millán Serrano, Spain

Congratulations to the winners of the 2018 Conference Rome Scholarship programme

  • Academic and Professional Development Committee - Pamela Towela Sambo, Zambia
  • Access to Justice and Legal Aid Committee - Muhammad Awwal Danlami, Nigeria
  • African Regional Forum and Law Firm Management Committee - Isaac Aburam Lartey, Ghana
  • Alternative and New Law Business Structures Committee and Professional Ethics Committee - Blanco Alberto, Spain
  • Antitrust and Trade Law Committee - Alice Bradshaw, Australia
  • Asia Pacific Regional Forum - Ishita Khare, India
  • Aviation Law Committee - María Calleri, Argentina
  • Corporate Law - Abhishek Dubey, India
  • Criminal Law Section - Mariam Adebambo, Nigeria
  • Dispute Resolution Section - Nathan Eastwood, Australia
  • European Regional Forum - Markus Beham, Austria
  • Financial Services Section - Rosa Jacqueline Escobar Rodas, Peru
  • Intellectual Property, Communications and Technology Law Section - Shivani Vij, India
  • International Sales, Franchising and Product Law Section - Andres Castiglioni, Uruguay
  • Leisure Industries Section - Bhavana Sunder, India
  • Human Rights Law Committee and LGBTI Law Committee - Dorji Wangmo, Bhutan
  • North American Regional Forum - Aditya Deolekar, India
  • Private Client Tax Committee - Tsatsraltuya Sandag, Mongolia
  • Real Estate Section - Rodrigo Zaldivar, Peru
  • Regulation of Lawyers Compliance Committee - Kamla Braithwaite, Trinidad
  • Rule of Law Forum - Hugh Alexander Tsun-Ting Kam, China
  • Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law Section - Aniket Singhania, India
  • Taxes Committee - Meyyappan Nagappan, India

Congratulations to the winners of the 2017 Annual Conference Sydney Scholarship programme

  • Academic and Professional Development Committee - Kinley Gyeltshen, Bhutan
  • Access to Justice and Legal Aid Committee - Precious-Rhoda Edwei Akpabey, Ghana
  • African Regional Forum - Titilayo Ajayi, Nigeria
  • Alternative and New Law Business Structures Committee - Derya Durlu Gürzumar, Turkey
  • Antitrust and Trade Law Section - Lauren Battaglia, USA
  • Asia Pacific Regional Forum - Elena Kim, New Zealand
  • Aviation Law Committee - Mansi Singh, India
  • Criminal Law Section - Paloma Blazquez, Spain
  • Dispute Resolution Section - Eva Litina, Greece
  • Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law (SEERIL) Section - Meghna Chandra, UK
  • European Regional Forum - Verena Wieditz, France
  • Family Law Committee - Mark Ablett, UK
  • Financial Services Section - Aldo Turella, Italy
  • Individual Tax and Private Client Committee - Venetia Argyropoulou, Cyprus
  • Intellectual Property, Communications and Technology Law Section - Nazli Cansin Karga Giritli, UK
  • International Sales, Franchising and Product Law Section - Calvin Leung, Canada
  • Law Firm Management Committee - Chidera Igweagu, Nigeria
  • Leisure Industries Section - Probal Bose, India
  • Michael Prior Scholarship (Insolvency Section) - Fabio Weinberg Crocco, USA
  • North American Regional Forum - Juan Pablo Hugues Arthur, Mexico
  • Professional Ethics Committee - Aditi Rani, India
  • Real Estate Section - Zuzanna Wencel-Czuryszkiewicz, Poland
  • Taxes Committee - Julie Abdalla, Australia

Congratulations to the winners of the 2016 Annual Conference Washington Scholarship programme

  • Access to Justice and Legal Aid Committee - Shafaq Asmat, Pakistan
  • Alternative Business Structures Committee - Isobelle Watts, Australia
  • Antitrust and Trade Law Section - Emilio Vazquez, Mexico
  • Aviation Law Committee - Roberta Verdesca, Italy
  • Corporate Law Section - Victoriia Dobrynska, Ukraine
  • Criminal Law Section - Pavlo Bespalov, Ukraine
  • Dispute Resolution Section - Karina Travaglione, Australia
  • European Regional Forum - John Morgan, Scotland
  • Family Law Committee - Mabel Tembo-Chakoleka, Zambia
  • Financial Services Section - Cynthia Onyinyechi Igodo, Nigeria
  • Human Rights Law Committee - Freya Dinshaw, Australia
  • Individual Tax and Private Client Committee - Helen Citron, England
  • Intellectual Property, Communications and Technology Law Section - Zehra Betul Ayranci, Turkey
  • Law Firm Management Committee - Evans Moyo, Zimbabwe
  • Maritime and Transport Law Committee - Carmel Proudfoot, Australia

Congratulations to the winners of the 2015 Annual Conference Vienna Scholarship programme

  • Antitrust and Trade Law Section - Thiago Nascimento dos Reis, Sao Paulo, Brazil
  • Aviation Law - Juan Manuel Estrada, Mexico City, Mexico
  • Corporate Law Section - Malaveeka Chakravarthy, Bangalore, India
  • Criminal Law Section - Nahid Rabbi, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Dispute Resolution Section - Courtney Furner, Mendoza, Argentina
  • Energy, Environment, Natural Resources an Infrastructure Law Section (SEERIL) - Saelese Haynes, Mt. Lambert, Trinidad
  • European Regional Forum - Antonio Modola, S. Giorgio La Molara, Italy
  • Financial Services Section - Kefa Nsubuga, Kampala, Uganda
  • Individual Tax and Private Client Committee - Jorge Liendo, Lima, Peru
  • Insolvency Section - Natalia Anokhina, Lviv, Ukraine
  • Intellectual Property, Communications and Technology Law Section - Alyssa Cervantes, Brussels, Belgium (origin: USA)
  • Law Firm Management Committee: East African Law Society - Isaiah Munje, Nairobi, Kenya
  • Law Firm Management Committee: South African Development Community Lawyers Association - Doreen Vimbai Gapare, Harare, Zimbabwe
  • Magna Carta, Student - Gavin Dingley, Hartlepool, United Kingdom
  • Magna Carta, Young Lawyer - Nkiruka Maduekwe, London, United Kingdom (origin: Nigeria)
  • Real Estate Section - Pavlina Ivanova, Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Taxation Section - Pim Duteweert, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Congratulations to the past winners of the 2014 Annual Conference Tokyo Scholarship programme

  • Antitrust and Trade Law Section - Benjamin Guelfi, Montevideo, Uruguay
  • Asia Pacific Regional Forum - Isabel Chun-Yee Tam, Hong Kong
  • Asia Pacific Regional Forum - Katherine Jonckheere, Singapore
  • Corporate Law Section - Leticia Sophia Goni Fraquelli, Montevideo, Uruguay
  • Corporate Law Section - Lucan Braun, San Paulo, Brazil
  • Criminal Law Section - Lloyd Nicholas Vergara, Manila, Philippines
  • Dispute Resolution Section - Wanjiru Ngige, Kikuyu, Kenya
  • Energy, Environment, Natural Resources an Infrastructure Law Section (SEERIL) - Tessa D'Abbs, Melbourne, Australia
  • Financial Services Section - Ekaterina Galkova, Moscow, Russian Federation
  • Individual Tax and Private Client Committee - Julia Jonas, Austin, Texas, USA
  • Insolvency Section - Matti Lemmens
  • Intellectual Property, Communications and Technology Law Section - Omolola Abaje-Williams, London, England
  • International Sales Committee - Kaustbh Sinah, Noida, India
  • Leisure Industries Section - Zachary Bastian, Washington DC, USA
  • Maritime and Transport Law Committee - Jose Augusto Dias de Castro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Real Estate Section - Volodymyr Grabchak, Kiev, Ukraine
  • Taxes Committee - Sebastian Lopez Nieto, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Congratulations to the past winners of the IBA 2013 Annual Conference Boston Scholarship programme

  • Antitrust and Trade Law Section - Surbhi Mehta
  • Aviation Law Committee - Amanda Foong Teoh
  • Corporate Law Section - Malou Martinsson
  • Criminal Law Section - Sheree Rubinstein
  • Dispute Resolution Section - Carolina Secondo
  • Financial Services Section - Nusula Nassuna
  • Human Resources Section - Abayomi Okubote
  • Individual Tax and Private Client Committee - Helena Slawinska
  • Insolvency Section - Samantha Rothman
  • Intellectual Property, Communications and Technology Law Section - Ruwanai Dantanarayana
  • International Sales, Franchising and Product Law Section - Dustin Combs
  • Leisure Industries Section - Joasia Luzak
  • Real Estate Section - Yuriy Datskiv
  • SEERIL Section - Nabutola Wanjala
  • Taxes Committee - Dhruv Sanghavi