Legal practice historically has been a largely parochial endeavor; one need look no further than the complex debate within the United States about multi-jurisdictional practice between states (let alone questions of foreign lawyers practicing within the US) to see that the inherent complexities of the emerging global bar extend far beyond fitness and character to practice law.

In an age of rapid globalization, this is no longer merely the academic issue it might have been even a decade ago. The largest law firms now span the globe, with thousands of lawyers carrying the banner of a single firm, yet residing in geographically diverse offices and practicing law in numerous states. Large corporations face similar challenges in creating a common legal identity among in-house attorneys practicing in a multitude of jurisdictions that typically report upward to a single general counsel resident in one nation.

This one-day conference examines these issues from multiple perspectives. Does international commerce or finance provide common ground for practitioners, for example, or is there broader commonality among counsel in other fields, such as human rights lawyers? What are the proper contours of a genuine debate over matters such as ensuring minimum standards of qualification, guarding domestic province from outside intervention, protecting clients and the public, the role of lawyers as aspect of national identity, and the like? What can we do – as international scholars, educators, and practitioners – to adapt to the rapidly-changing economic, social and political environment and prepare the next generation of lawyers – domestic and international – to meet the challenges that globalization will continue to present?

Format and Keynote Address
The symposium will include four panels examining the globalization of the legal profession in terms of the impact on law firms, international and domestic regulatory frameworks, and a case study focusing on the legal profession in India. A broad range of speakers will offer the varied perspectives of private law practitioners, government lawyers, academic scholars, government officials, consultants, corporate counsel, and the judiciary.

The seated lunch will feature a keynote address on globalization by Ben Heineman, Jr., former Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of the General Electric Company, along with remarks on legal education in the global setting by HLS Dean Elena Kagan.

Schedule

• Ben Heineman, Jr., former VP & CLO of General Electric Company (Keynote)
• Dean Elena Kagan, Harvard Law School
• Elizabeth Anderson, Esq., Executive Director, American Society of International Law
• Stephen Denyer, Esq., Regional Managing Partner for Europe, Allen & Overy (Germany)
• Nishith Desai, Esq., Managing Partner, Nishith Desai & Associates, Mumbai, India
• Trevor Faure, Esq., GC for Europe, Middle East & Africa, Tyco International Ltd.
• Prof. Marc Galanter, University of Wisconsin – Madison & London School of Economics and Political Science
• Pratibha Jain, Esq., VP & CLO, Goldman Sachs, Mumbai, India
• James Jones, VP of Hildebrandt International & Chairman of the Hildebrandt Institute
• Peter Kalis, Esq., Chairman & Global Managing Partner, K&L Gates
• Prof. Andrew Kaufman, Harvard Law School
• Prof. C. Raj Kumar, CEO, OP Jindal Global University & Jindal Global Law School
• Prof. Ashish Nanda, Harvard Law School
• Dr. David Nersessian, Executive Director, Harvard Law School Program on the Legal Profession
• Dr. Todd Nissen, Director of Services Trade Negotiations, Office of the United States Trade Representative
• Prof. Catherine Rogers, Penn State Dickinson School of Law
• Prof. Carole Silver, Georgetown Law Center
• Hon. Richard Stearns, United States District Court, District of Massachusetts
• Prof. Laurel Terry, Penn State Dickinson Law School
• Prof. Detlev Vagts, , Harvard Law School
• Prof. David Wilkins, Harvard Law School

Materials from this event are available here.