International Association of Legal Ethics Berlin Conference – June 25-26, 2026
The International Association of Legal Ethics is hosting a conference in Berlin on June 25-26, 2026, titled “The Legal Profession in Times of Rule of Law and Democratic Backsliding.” Bringing together lawyers, judges, legal scholars, and bar association leaders from around the world, the conference will examine how legal professionals can defend democratic institutions and the rule of law in an era of increasing political pressure. Sessions will explore lessons from countries facing threats to judicial independence—including Poland, Hungary, Turkey, and the United States—and discuss the role that law schools, bar associations, and individual lawyers can play in protecting constitutional values. The venue itself carries symbolic weight: the German Bar Association headquarters is located on Littenstraße, named after Hans Litten, a young lawyer who fearlessly resisted Nazism in the 1930s, reminding attendees of both the power and the limits of legal resistance against authoritarianism.