Co-Chair
Jane Anderson
Co-Chair
Andrew Mackenzie
Forum for Government and Public Lawyers
The Forum for Government and Public Lawyers provides a platform for government and public lawyers worldwide. As the global voice of the legal profession, the IBA supports these lawyers and connects them with both public and private sector practitioners. The Forum focuses on the role of government and public lawyers, covering public service values, ethics, specialist skills, and public international law developments. Membership is open to Bar Associations that are IBA members and individual members of any Division. The Forum is especially relevant to practitioners working in government or public entities at domestic, regional, or international levels.
Latest news
Forum Newsletter – June 2026
In this inaugural newsletter, the Forum Co-Chairs outline the aims of the Forum and its recent and upcoming activities. The Forum also introduces its 2026 officers and features a Q&A with each, providing insights about their professional journeys, their current roles and jurisdictions, their visions for the Forum this year and more.
Past webinars
Model litigants: recognising the roles and delivering on the duties of government and public lawyers
This webinar was held on 24 June 2026 and was supported by the Judges’ Forum and Rule of Law Forum. The panel, which featured current and former government and public lawyers, a current Supreme Court judge, and an expert on the rule of law, explored the role of government and public lawyers within justice systems, including courts, tribunals and dispute resolution processes.
Public servants first and lawyers second? The personal and professional ethical challenges for government and public lawyers
In this inaugural webinar from the Forum for Government and Public Lawyers, held on 27 May 2026 and supported by the IBA Professional Ethics Committee and the IBA Public Law Section, the panellists explored the role and practice of the government and public lawyer, with a focus on ethical considerations.
Publications
Public servants first and lawyers second? The personal and professional ethical challenges for government and public lawyers
A report on the webinar ‘Public servants first and lawyers second? The personal and professional ethical challenges for government and public lawyers’, hosted by the IBA Forum for Government and Public Lawyers on 27 May 2026.
Released on Jul 24, 2026
Model litigants: recognising the roles and delivering on the duties of government and public lawyers
A report on the webinar ‘Model litigants: recognising the roles and delivering on the duties of government and public lawyers’, hosted by the IBA Forum for Government and Public Lawyers on 24 June 2026.
Released on Jul 24, 2026
Subcommittees and other groups
The Forum for Government and Public Lawyers also coordinates the activities of the following subcommittees/working groups.
- Forum for Government and Public Lawyers Advisory Board