From courtrooms to conflict zones, from boardrooms to government ministries, the legal profession is navigating an era of unprecedented strain. Regulators are tightening their grip. The rule of law and the rules-based order are fracturing. Ethical boundaries are being tested in ever-evolving ways that legal education never anticipated. Young lawyers are entering a profession that looks radically different from the one their mentors built careers in. Artificial Intelligence has brought its own unique opportunities and challenges.

Holding the line brings together the full breadth of the SPPI - across regulation, ethics and accountability, public service, firm management and the next generation of lawyers. The setting will be a world café style set of roundtables each discussing one of the challenges confronting the profession and discussing possible solutions to these challenges. This will be followed by a panel session to discuss the key takeaways from the roundtable discussions and attempt a prognosis for the future of the profession.