Babatunde Ajibade
Chair of the SPPI
2025-2026
Section on Public and Professional Interest
The SPPI constitutes a wide array of projects, activities, committees, and other entities focusing on issues and professional interests that make the practice of law a profession and not only an occupation.
The objectives of the SPPI are:
- to promote an interchange of information and views among its members about the public and professional interest activities of the legal profession throughout the world;
- to support and promote those activities;
- to facilitate communication among its members and to be active in the SPPI through its committees and other groupings;
- to undertake such related projects as may be approved from time to time by the SPPI’s Council.
SPPI Council Advisory Board
Charandeep Kaur
Member
Firm Address
Trilegal 1st floor, Wing A & B, Prius PlatinumD-3, District Centre, Saket
New Delhi
India
110017
Sönke Lund
Member
Firm Address
ÉCIJA Avinguda Diagonal 458Barcelona
Spain
08006
Alberto Mata Rodriguez
Member
Firm Address
CMS Albiñana Suárez de Lezo Paseo de Recoletos 7–9Madrid
Spain
28004
Myra Garrett
SPPI Past Chair
Firm Address
William Fry 2 Grand Canal SquareDublin
Ireland
2
Since 2021, the SPPI has been focussing on three core themes:
- Future of Legal Services – promoting “Law” as the great profession and career that it is
- Rule of Law – defending and supporting the Rule of Law and human rights and improving the independence, quality, efficiency of, and access to, the justice system
- UN Sustainable Development Goals – implementing the 17 UN SDGs within the IBA as guiding and uniting force of the divisions and the legal community at large in order to support its role in society
- Artificial intelligence - download the slides from our working group Impact of artificial intelligence on law firms below
Download
The Section on Public and Professional Interest each year present four awards to remarkable lawyers. The IBA Outstanding International Woman Lawyer Award, in recognition of Anne-Marie Hutchinson, the IBA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, in recognition of William Reece Smith Jr, the IBA Pro Bono Award and the IBA Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Legal Practitioner to Human Rights, all supported by LexisNexis.
Rights of admission reserved? Opportunities and challenges for young lawyers to develop a multi-jurisdictional practice: part one – Asia Pacific
17 Jul 2025 1200 - 1300 BST
Webinar
Young lawyers and leadership
23 Jul 2025 1330 - 1430 BST
Webinar
The foundation for integrity and the rule of law starts within - the global call for judicial wellbeing
24 Jul 2025 1200 - 1300 BST
Webinar
Focus on the arms trade: state responsibility, accountability and private actor compliance
30 Jul 2025 1400 - 1500 BST
Webinar
Next Gen Arbitration in Asia Pacific: Innovation, access, and legacy
25 Aug 2025
Singapore
Navigating personal and professional growth in the legal industry, part three: the senior partner journey – supporting the final phase and life beyond
03 Sep 2025 1400 - 1500 BST
Webinar
Constitution after coup: South Korea – a Rule of Law Forum series
04 Sep 2025 0800 - 0900 KST
Webinar
IBA Next Generation Legal Summit: Building your professional future in a changing world – a law firm management perspective
08 Sep 2025
São Paulo , Brazil
Young Lawyers Private Equity Forum 2025
17 Sep 2025
London , England
Tools for justice and accountability: universal criminal jurisdiction over enforced disappearances
06 Oct 2025 1300 - 1400 BST
Webinar
IBA Young Lawyers' Committee Training
01 Nov 2025
Toronto , Canada
IBA Annual Conference Toronto 2025
02 Nov - 07 Nov 2025
Toronto , Canada
IBA Academic Forum 2025
07 Nov 2025
Toronto , Canada
IBA War Crimes Committee Conference 2026
18 Apr 2026
The Hague , Netherlands
IBA Annual Conference Copenhagen 2026
04 Oct - 09 Oct 2026
Copenhagen , Denmark
With the aim of providing interactive and educational opportunities to the growing international legal community, the Committees of the Section on Public and Professional Interest offer annual opportunities for young lawyers from around the world to apply for scholarships that recognise outstanding individuals in the legal profession. Each year the IBA, holds an Annual Conference, which attracts the participation of over 4000 lawyers from more than 100 jurisdictions. The Public and Professional Interest (PPID) and the Legal Practice Division (LPD) present informative and engaging sessions covering current topics of significance to lawyers throughout the world. The Annual Conference working sessions are complemented by a full social programme which provides the opportunity for delegates 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.
This handbook is designed as a reference guide for any officer within the SPPI. Regardless of how long you have been participating in the IBA, you will inevitably have questions about policies and procedures and this tool can be your first stop in quickly obtaining answers.
The objective of the fund is to provide financial assistance to the PPID’s committees and entities, be they individual or organisational, allowing projects and activities to be launched which would not otherwise be possible. The key criteria are that all such projects or activities must promote public interest and professionalism and raise the stature and visibility of both the PPID and the IBA. As such, projects which will benefit a wide range of individuals or groups are encouraged over those which will benefit or be of relevance only to a small group.
Recognising the importance of UN Sustainabile Development Goals, the SPPI aims to
- encourage and support SPPI Committees in respect of UN SDGs and ESG projects and providing input from the SPPI Committees to the IBA cross-divisional UN SDGs/ESG strategy;
- highlight the work of the SPPI in these areas;
- integrate various IBA committee workstreams into a wider IBA position on UNSDGs/ESG; and
- identify initiatives and options that make the biggest positive impact in obtaining of UN SDGs.
Officers of the SPPI Council
Babatunde Ajibade
SPPI Chair
Firm Address
SPA Ajibade & Co Suite 301 Spaaco House27A Macarthy Street, Onikan
Lagos
Nigeria
00000
Wajiha Ahmed
Council Member
Firm Address
Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia ----------Sydney
Australia
2000
Adriana Castro
Council Member
Firm Address
BLP Abogados SA Roble Corporate Center, 8th floorEscazu
San Jose
Costa Rica
10202
Chunghwan Choi
Council Member
Firm Address
Yulchon Parnas Tower, 38th Floor,521 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu,
Seoul
South Korea
06164
Gabor Damjanovic
Council Member
Firm Address
Forgó Damjanovic & Partners 17-19 Alkotás StreetBudapest
Hungary
1123
Victoria Fearne
Council Member
Firm Address
Barbri Global 231 - 232 StrandLondon
England
WC2R 1DA
Paul D Paton
Council Member
Firm Address
Chapman University Fowler School of Law 1 University DrOrange
USA
92866-1005
Carolina Zang
LPD Representative
Firm Address
Zang Bergel & Viñes Calle Florida537 - 18th Floor
Buenos Aires
Argentina
C1005AAK
For more information on the SPPI, please contact the IBA London Office at divisions@int-bar.org