Section on Public and Professional Interest (SPPI)

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 SPPI Themes Important Dates SPPI Committees Scholarships SPPI Awards PPID Activity Fund Future of Legal Services Commission Rule of Law Forum UN SGD Who am I - Interview series

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

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.

Find out more and nominate

From Aspirant to Arbitrator! Part I: How to get that first appointment

22 Jan 2025 1600 - 1730 GMT

Webinar

Futureproof your law firm – instilling culture through collaboration

23 Jan 2025 1500 - 1600 GMT

Webinar

Disclosure obligations in the different legal cultures – is there a level ethical playing field; should there be uniform rules?

05 Feb 2025 0800 - 0900 GMT

Webinar

The role of international law and institutions in attaining Goal 1 of the SDGs

07 Feb 2025 1700 - 1800 GMT

Webinar

The Fundamentals of International Legal Business Practice

19 Feb 2025

Hong Kong SAR

IBA Middle East Conference: Law firms and in-house legal departments working together

19 Feb - 20 Feb 2025

Dubai , United Arab Emirates

Annual IBA Latin American Regional Forum Young Lawyers’ Training Programme

19 Mar 2025

Lima , Peru

IBA War Crimes Committee Conference 2025: Law on the frontlines

04 Apr - 05 Apr 2025

The Hague , Netherlands

IBA Law Firm Management Committee Academy for Leaders

22 Jul - 25 Jul 2025

London , England

Law Firm Management Committee Latin America Conference - Building the law firm of the future

08 Sep - 09 Sep 2025

São Paulo , Brazil

IBA Annual Conference Toronto 2025

02 Nov - 07 Nov 2025

Toronto , Canada

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.

Find out more and apply

Academic and Professional Development Committee

Access to Justice and Legal Aid Committee

Alternative and New Law Business Structures Committee

Forum for Barristers and Advocates

Forum for Government and Public Lawyers

Human Rights Law Committee

Judges' Forum

Law Firm Management Committee

LGBTQI+ Law Committee

Poverty and Social Development Committee

Pro Bono Committee

Professional Ethics Committee

Regulation of Lawyers Committee

Rule of Law Forum

Senior Lawyers' Committee

War Crimes Committee

Women Lawyers' Committee

Young Lawyers' Committee

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.

More information

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.

Find out more and apply

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.