Bar Council outlines international visits, conferences and events planned for the remainder of 2026
International engagement programme plans have been announced by the Bar Council, which has set out a busy schedule of overseas visits, conferences and events taking place during the second half of 2026.
The programme is intended to support the Bar Council’s international priorities, including strengthening relationships with overseas Bars, promoting England and Wales as a leading legal jurisdiction, championing the rule of law and creating opportunities for the profession.
The programme begins with the American Bar Association (ABA) conference in Chicago from 29 July to 4 August. Chair of the Bar, Kirsty Brimelow KC, and Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee, Amelia Clegg, will attend roundtable discussions, receptions and bilateral meetings with ABA leaders during the conference.
The Bar Council will then travel to Sri Lanka from 7 to 9 August for a joint legal conference with local Bar associations. The visit will build on an existing memorandum of understanding and will include discussions covering environmental law, anti-money laundering and commercial arbitration.
Further international visits are scheduled for Japan from 26 August to 1 September and South Korea from 1 to 8 September. The Japan programme will focus on promoting England and Wales as a legal jurisdiction and developing connections within Japan’s legal sector, while the South Korea visit will continue work with law firms and relationships developed through the Bar Council’s placement programme.
The Bar Council will also send a delegation to India from 7 to 12 September to strengthen its relationship with the Indian Bar. The programme for the visit is still being finalised.
The international calendar will continue with the Opening of the Legal Year in London on 30 September and 1 October, which brings together Bar leaders from around the world. The Bar Council will also launch its new international strategy at an event in London on 15 October, setting out its plans for the next five years, including promoting legal services and expanding opportunities for the profession.
The International Bar Association (IBA) annual conference in Copenhagen, taking place from 4 to 9 October, will include participation from Kirsty Brimelow KC, who will engage with Bar leaders from other jurisdictions. Sessions will cover areas including litigation, artificial intelligence and ethics, judges’ forums and activities for younger lawyers. Barristers under seven years’ practice can apply for financial support through the Bar Council’s International Professional and Legal Development Grant Programme.
The Bar Council will also visit Vietnam from 26 to 30 October for its first programme in the jurisdiction, involving engagement in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City. The visit aims to strengthen legal relationships and support engagement with Vietnam’s developing international financial centre. A business development visit to Nigeria, covering Lagos and Abuja from 23 to 26 November, will focus on arbitration, investigations and support for the rule of law.
For solicitors and legal professionals, the programme highlights the increasing importance of international networks, cross-border collaboration and opportunities to develop legal expertise across jurisdictions. The Bar Council has also introduced an international business development bursary scheme for 2026, offering two £3,000 bursaries per visit for its Vietnam and Nigeria business development visits. Applicants must also be Bar Representation Fee subscribers to join these visits and apply for the bursary scheme.