In April, Fordham Law, represented by Professor Bruce Green, joined six leading law schools at the inaugural meeting of the Global Network of Centers on the Legal Profession, a new global organization of law school centers focused on examining the legal profession, legal education, and legal ethics.
Green, director of Fordham Law’s Stein Center for Law and Ethics, was joined by faculty members from the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession, the LawAhead Center at IE Law School, the Bucerius Center on the Legal Profession, Georgetown University, King’s College London, and Tilburg University, for the day-long session at IE University in Madrid, Spain. The goal of the Global Network of Centers on the Legal Profession is to “foster collaborative projects among institutions dedicated to research, dialogue, and training in the legal field,” as well as promoting “future exchanges and collaborations regarding developments in the legal profession internationally.”
“Law practice has become increasingly global,” said Green. “It is important to know what’s going on in other parts of the world, to develop cultural competence in general, and to learn about other countries’ legal professionals in particular.The law school centers that are part of this new network will have an opportunity to learn from each other how different legal professionals are addressing common problems in a changing world.”
As part of the session, Green participated in a panel discussing major developments affecting the legal profession across the globe, including the risks and benefits of new technologies such as AI. The event also included participant presentations, a meeting with members of the Spanish bar, and informal networking opportunities for the 70 legal professionals in attendance.
Other conversations tackled thorny legal ethics questions related to legal education, professional development, and how changes to the business model of legal practice could change the profession. In the future, the center’s organizers hope for it to become a hub of research and dialogue by bringing together the expertise of an international set of experts.
“Fordham Law is home to one of the first centers focused on legal ethics, and the Stein Center is widely recognized as a leader in the field,” said Fordham Law Dean Joseph Landau. “We’re honored to join the Global Network of Centers on the Legal Profession and look forward to engaging with more colleagues from around the world.”