WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 22, 2011 — Key challenges within the legal profession due to the economic downturn and technology, as well as global regulatory and competition issues, will be on the agenda as the American Bar Association Section of International Law comes to Dublin, Ireland, Oct. 11-15, for its Fall Meeting.  The Convention Centre Dublin will serve as the headquarters for the meeting’s programming.

The opening plenary session features Irish President Mary McAleese, on Oct. 12, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  McAleese, former professor of law, has had a longstanding interest in many issues concerned with justice, equality, social inclusion, anti-sectarianism and reconciliation.

McAleese’s opening remarks will be followed by a luncheon with Mary Robinson, first female president of Ireland and former United Nations high commissioner for Human Rights.  On Oct. 13, Chief Justice of Ireland, John L. Murray, will present remarks during the luncheon session, 12:45 – 2:15 p.m.

A complete agenda and updated list of speakers can be found online.

Oct. 11:

Virtualization of the Legal Profession — The International Lawyer 2.0: Practicing law via the Internet is not restricted by international borders.  In fact, providing legal advice across jurisdictions has never been easier.  What are the challenges that virtual and traditional law firms face?  What are the advantages for the client?  What is the social impact of practicing law in a virtual world?
2:30 – 4 p.m.

Legal Employment in a Recessionary Economy:  The Needs of Employers and Prospects for Transnational Lawyers: This program will bring together a panel of legal employers from the United States and other key jurisdictions — law firm hiring partners, government attorneys, non-governmental organization attorneys and in-house counsel — each of whom has responsibility for recruiting, hiring and/or training new attorneys.  The panelists will address recent hiring trends, and identify their needs will respect to the skill set of new law school graduates.
4 – 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 12:

Educating and Qualifying Future Transnational Lawyers: This program will compare, contrast and explore the various systems and methods for educating law students and qualifying new lawyers in different jurisdictions.
2:30 – 4 p.m.

Oct. 13:

The Opportunities and Challenges of Managing a Law Firm: Panelists will address critical issues currently facing law firms, including the future of local and national law firms as large multinational “mega” firms continue to expand; developing and maintaining alliances or “best friend” relationships; alternative billing structures and responding to requests for proposals; creative marketing ideas; and competitive threats to law firms in the coming five to 10 years.
9 – 10:30 a.m.

Leading a Law Firm in Turbulent Times: Over the past few years, law firm leaders in many different jurisdictions have had to cope with a very unpredictable market, leading them to fundamentally re-examine their strategy and priorities and seek to reposition their firms as more agile organizations.  Have these experiences led to fundamental shifts in the market for legal services, particularly in smaller jurisdictions and niche markets?
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Meet the Enforcers:  Hot Topics in Global Competition Law: This program will invite representatives of enforcement authorities (past and present) to engage in a wide-ranging and free-wheeling discussion of current issues of concern in the antitrust realm, how they have addressed the banking crisis in their respective jurisdictions, and how they view the future of competition law and policy.
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

“Humane Retirement” is Not an Oxymoron: Seasoned lawyers are ripe for action.  How and where can they use their experience and interests? Age-based retirement requirements are increasingly illegal in the United States unless supported by contracts and consideration.  Mandatory retirement remains a fixture in Europe.  Will it remain so, and how will it affect lawyers?
4:30 – 6 p.m.

Lessons from Europe:  Dealing with Diversity Directives in a Global Environment: For several decades, American multinational corporations have used their leverage as large corporate clients to promote a business case for diversity among American law firms and lawyers. European multinational corporations doing business in the United States are not strangers to this but far less attention has been paid to their efforts to promote diversity among their lawyers.
4:30 – 6 p.m.

Oct. 14:

Models of Modernity for Commercial Litigation in 2011 — International Comparison of Efficient and Effective Court Systems: This program will share positive experiences of court systems that encourage litigants to deal with complex commercial litigation cases effectively and efficiently. The panel will share experiences gained within courts of note in the United States, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Global Handcuffs versus Mobility:  From Executive Pay to Enforcement: A multinational panel will discuss the escalating drive toward heavily weighting executive compensation to long-term performance.  What are governments requiring?
4:30 – 6 p.m.

Whither the Euro: Breaking up is Hard to Do: American newspapers have been full of speculation about the possible contraction of the eurozone.  However, the focus of the debate has been largely on the political and economic issues involved.  This panel will look at the relevant legal issues and examine how an exit from the eurozone might occur, and debate the likelihood of that happening as well as the consequences for financial market contracts if it did.
4:30 – 6 p.m.

ABA International was founded in 1933 and leads the development of international legal policy, the promotion of the rule of law, and the education of international law practitioners. It is the only ABA entity that focuses exclusively on international legal issues.  ABA International has over 23,000 members in 90 countries, including 1500 in-house counsel.  The section has more than 60 committees, task forces, and working groups devoted to substantive legal issues or focused on geographic areas all over the world, monitoring and disseminating information on international policy developments that effect international legal practice.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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