Inter-Pacific Bar Association
Encyclopedia
The Inter-Pacific Bar Association or IPBA is an international association of business and commercial lawyers, founded in 1991. Its members consist of residents of the Asia-Pacific
region, or lawyers with a strong interest in that region. It is one of the very few international associations that brings together lawyers from different backgrounds and legal systems, and in doing so it fosters communication and builds stronger ties between these lawyers and thus their countries.
It was founded in April 1991 at an initial conference in Tokyo
attended by 500 lawyers. The association has since swelled to over 2,000 members from 67 countries and jurisdictions, such as Australia, China, Singapore, India, the United States and Japan.
Its stated purposes are:
It holds an annual conference (generally in the first week of May), publishes a quarterly magazine and has a number of standing committees on a range of areas of law. In 2007, the Annual Conference was held in Beijing
and the opening ceremony in the Great Hall of the People was presided over by Luo Gan
, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, who first granted an audience to the then President of IPBA Mr Jim FitzSimons. In 2008, the Annual Conference was held in Los Angeles
. The 2009 Conference will be in Manila
, followed in 2010 by a conference in Singapore
.
Through its IPBA Scholars program the Association brings young lawyers and lawyers from developing countries to its annual conferences and thus helps to ensure the continued development of the legal profession in the region. The IPBA is also both a Funding Supporter and a Regional Supporting Organisation of the AsianLii legal database project.
As part of the organization's commitment to foster the development of the legal profession in the Asia-Pacific, the Council of the IPBA has met (and held an associated seminar with members of the local bar association) in a variety of places, including Santiago, Chile and Colombo, Sri Lanka and in November 2008 the Council will meet in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Two former Presidents, Kunio Hamada and Susan Glazebrook
, have gone on to become judges in their respective countries (Japan and New Zealand). Another former President, Dej-Udom Krairit, is the current President of the Law Society of Thailand and Mr Carl Anduri, the 5th President of the IPBA, is now the CEO of the worldwide legal network Lex Mundi
.
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
region, or lawyers with a strong interest in that region. It is one of the very few international associations that brings together lawyers from different backgrounds and legal systems, and in doing so it fosters communication and builds stronger ties between these lawyers and thus their countries.
It was founded in April 1991 at an initial conference in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
attended by 500 lawyers. The association has since swelled to over 2,000 members from 67 countries and jurisdictions, such as Australia, China, Singapore, India, the United States and Japan.
Its stated purposes are:
To provide to all of its Members opportunities:
- to contribute towards the development of the legal profession in the Pacific and Asian regions comprising Asia and the jurisdictions within, or bordering, the Pacific (collectively "the Region") and towards the development and improvement of the legal profession's status and organization within the Region;
- to contribute towards the development of the law and the legal structures within the Region;
- to meet and exchange ideas with other lawyers who live in or who are interested in, the Region;
- to study and discuss legal issues that involve the Region; and
- to share information upon legal developments affecting the Region,
To serve its Members fairly and equitably; and
To promote the rule of lawRule of lawThe rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
.
It holds an annual conference (generally in the first week of May), publishes a quarterly magazine and has a number of standing committees on a range of areas of law. In 2007, the Annual Conference was held in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and the opening ceremony in the Great Hall of the People was presided over by Luo Gan
Luo Gan
Luo Gan is a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China and former Political and Legislative Affairs Committee secretary of the People's Republic of China.-Biography:...
, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, who first granted an audience to the then President of IPBA Mr Jim FitzSimons. In 2008, the Annual Conference was held in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The 2009 Conference will be in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, followed in 2010 by a conference in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Through its IPBA Scholars program the Association brings young lawyers and lawyers from developing countries to its annual conferences and thus helps to ensure the continued development of the legal profession in the region. The IPBA is also both a Funding Supporter and a Regional Supporting Organisation of the AsianLii legal database project.
As part of the organization's commitment to foster the development of the legal profession in the Asia-Pacific, the Council of the IPBA has met (and held an associated seminar with members of the local bar association) in a variety of places, including Santiago, Chile and Colombo, Sri Lanka and in November 2008 the Council will meet in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Two former Presidents, Kunio Hamada and Susan Glazebrook
Susan Glazebrook
Susan Glazebrook is a judge of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand.Justice Glazebrook has an MA , an LLB and a DipBus from the University of Auckland and a DPhil from the University of Oxford in French legal history...
, have gone on to become judges in their respective countries (Japan and New Zealand). Another former President, Dej-Udom Krairit, is the current President of the Law Society of Thailand and Mr Carl Anduri, the 5th President of the IPBA, is now the CEO of the worldwide legal network Lex Mundi
Lex Mundi
Lex Mundi is a professional services network. It is the largest law firm networks. The network was established in 1989. As of 2011 it had 160 member firms which have 21,100 attorneys...
.