Toward a European Lawyer: Rethinking Legal Education and Licensing to Practice Law for an Integrated Europe
Luiss Guido Carli and IE University—within the framework of the Italy-Spain Dialogue Forum and their academic partnership, and with a shared desire to further strengthen Italian-Spanish cooperation at the bilateral, European, and multilateral levels—plan to launch a dialogue opportunity between senior representatives of the two countries. The focus will be on the key figure of the “European Lawyer,” a professional whose academic qualifications and license to practice would be recognized in all EU member states.
In an increasingly integrated market, legal professionals are faced with numerous cross-border issues. However, the current diversity of educational qualifications and professional licenses for lawyers creates significant barriers to the mobility of professionals, access to justice, and, more broadly, market integration. A European lawyer model—whether achieved through a common degree, a unified qualification, or the mutual recognition of professionals—could strengthen the single market, facilitate cross-border legal services, and enhance the EU’s global competitiveness. Through a dialogue between leading figures from Italy and Spain, the event will explore how two countries with strong national traditions, yet deeply committed to European legal cooperation, can help foster greater professional convergence, benefiting businesses.
In a knowledge partnership with the Enel Foundation. Communication Partner: Comin&Partners.
9:30 a.m. Institutional greetings
Paolo Boccardelli, Rector of Luiss
Santiago Íñiguez de Onzoño, President of IE University (video message)
9:45 a.m. Opening session
Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi, Ambassador of Italy to Spain
Miguel Fernández-Palacios M., Ambassador of Spain to Italy
Stefan Pan, Vice President for the European Union and Relations with European Confindustries
Josep Sánchez Llibre, President of SBEES and President of Foment de Treball Cataluña
Francesco Puntillo, General Counsel at Enel
10:35 a.m. Panel 1 - Challenges facing the university system
Soledad Atienza, Dean of IE Law School
Aldo Sandulli, Director of the Global Law Bachelor's Degree Program, Luiss
Moderator:
Antonio Gullo, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs with responsibility for Bachelor's and Single-Cycle Master's Degrees and the coordination of Postgraduate Programs; Dean of the Undergraduate School and Single-Cycle Master's Degrees, Luiss
11:05 a.m. Panel 2 - The legal profession in Europe: current issues and future prospects
Francesco Greco, President of the National Bar Council
Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida, Attorney and President of the Foro de Dialogo Italia España
Franco Gianni, Founding Partner of Gianni & Origoni
Moderator:
Umberto Tombari, Professor of Commercial Law, Luiss
11:50 a.m. Presentation
Fabio Corsico, Director of the Master in Family Business Management, Luiss Business School
12:05 PM Conclusions
Paola Severino, President of the Luiss School of Law
Enrico Letta, Dean of the IE School of Politics, Economics, and Global Affairs
*Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in Italian-Spanish-Italian