Letter from the AIJA President, Anna Wyrzykowska (2021-2022)

 

Dear member, dear friends,

A warm welcome to a new AIJA year! We are at an important crossroads looking at the future of the legal profession, and I invite you to take an active part this year in the different discussions and initiatives aimed at better mapping and understanding the choices we have and their consequences. We are now perfectly aware that change is the only constant and therefore, let’s take the challenge head-on and be the generation to push for the positive transformation of the legal profession.

We will continue to build from AIJA’s already impactful legacy in regard to innovation, diversity and sustainability and put further emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) matters, legal technology and innovation, essential soft skills for lawyers, Human Rights and the Rule of Law.

Looking at the AIJA calendar for 2021/2022, you will see a new balance of online and onsite events and opportunities to learn, network and share. Following a successful hybrid Annual Congress in Zurich this August, we are committed to organising AIJA seminars, half-year conferences and the upcoming 60th Annual Congress in Singapore strictly following the applicable health and safety measures at the time of these events. We will continue to meet in person and, where feasible, allow online access to these events.

 

This year, we have two key seminars in Porto (Global perspective on IP and technology and Impact of tech on retail) and Vienna (Construction disputes) coming up shortly.

 

Our Half-Year November Conference 2021 (HYC) in Dubai will be our next major event where we will be focusing on managing global challenges - delivering legal solutions in disruptive times, international disputes and labour law challenges as the main themes during a four-day, three-track event, featuring networking events in the most spectacular settings.

 

Meanwhile, AIJA is thrilled to present you the second semester of the online AIJA Academy, focused on attitudes and behaviours that fundamentally define our professional development and success. Toni Jaeger-Fine, assistant dean at Fordham Law School and author of the book, ‘Becoming a Lawyer: Discovering and Defining Your Professional Persona’, will lead five 90-minute thought-provoking sessions from October 2021 to February 2022 at the AIJA Academy. To express our gratitude to our members’ online engagement throughout the lockdown, we offer reduced fees for this semester and encourage you to take advantage of the high-level educational programme by our New York-based partner institute.

 

		In 2019, at the occasion of the Rome Annual Congress, AIJA committed to taking action in the transition to sustainability. In 2021, by appointing our first Sustainability Officer, Dino Serafini, we move forward to the next level in the coordination of a collective effort to undertake serious responsibilities and deliver concrete results for a future in a more sustainable (legal) world. Stay tuned for stimulating discussions, comprehensive information resources, and opportunities to get involved in various initiatives focused not only on environmental protection.
The newly established Legal Tech Board of AIJA is tasked with keeping members up-to-date on available legal tech solutions, latest developments and trends, and provide adequate tools for lawyers to accomplish digital transformation in their firms. In collaboration with the SCILL commission, the Legal Tech Board is driven by three knowledgeable and tech-savvy lawyer members, David Areias, Iga Kurowska and Thomas Seeber.
		AIJA’s membership expansion and a balanced geographic representation around the globe have always been priorities on any President’s agenda. In my year, I want to leverage the good relationships with national and local bar associations and build new connections where we have no strong ties. With the help of the newly appointed Bar Relations Coordinator, Tomas Rybar, we will work on just that!

 

My friends, I\'m so excited for our year ahead together! There is much more in the pipeline that I’m eager to share with you at the right time, so stay connected and join us on any occasion you can, in person or virtually. AIJA’s door is always open; my door is always open: don’t hesitate to reach out, and let’s grow this wonderful association for all!

 

Anna Wyrzykowska
AIJA President, 2021 - 2022