Are you a young lawyer? Do you have a view on an International Anti-Corruption Court? Enter the International Bar Association’s essay competition for a chance to join the IBA conference for free! 

Hannah Terry

The International Bar Association’s Annual Conference hosts over 6000 lawyers from over 100 locations each year to discuss topical legal issues. Participants from international law societies, bar associations, and individual lawyers attend a variety of workshops and sessions covering topics of interest. Delegates are invited to participate professionally and socially, making connections with business contacts worldwide.  

The Young Lawyer Scholarships have been established to relieve the financial burden for young lawyers who wish to attend the Annual Conference. Recipients of the Young Lawyer Scholarship will be chosen through an essay competition, divided by major legal categories. This year’s criminal law question is sponsored by the Integrity Initiatives International and draws inspiration from calls to establish an International anti-corruption court (IACC) in The Hague, The Netherlands.  

Integrity Initiatives International works to build and coordinate the growing support of international actors for an IACC, read more about their work here. The calls for an IACC have garnered the support of nearly 300 world leaders, including the current leaders of The Netherlands, Ecuador, and Canada – countries that have been at the forefront of the Integrity Initiatives International movement. 

The Criminal Law category of the essay competition asks: 

Do we need an International anti-corruption court to strengthen the enforcement of criminal laws against corrupt leaders? 

The winner of the contest will receive a scholarship covering all expenses to attend the annual IBA Conference in Paris 2023 and free membership of the IBA. Interested applicants must submit an essay before May 31. More information can be found here.