Almudena Arpón de Mendívil is interviewed about her legacy and professional career | El País

Almudena Arpón de Mendívil, partner of Gómez-Acebo & Pombo and president of the International Bar Association, is interviewed by El País on her position at the top of the legal profession.

Almudena Arpón de Mendívil has been president of the International Bar Association (IBA) for two years, becoming only the second woman to hold this position in the organisation’s history. In her term (2023-2024), she has tackled global challenges such as the war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East and the presidency of Donald Trump. She has criticised Trump’s policies, especially on environmental and migration issues, and stressed the need for greater cohesion of the European Union.

In addition, Arpón de Mendívil has promoted the unity and prominence of the legal sector, highlighting the importance of the legal profession in everyday life. He has led the IBA in issuing statements on issues such as the Hamas attack on Israel, judicial reforms in Mexico and the amnesty law in Spain, defending the rule of law.

As for Ukraine, it has coordinated efforts to keep the Ukrainian legal profession operating in the midst of war, and the IBA has developed an application for documenting war crimes, which has already brought some cases to the International Criminal Court.

Almudena has also promoted studies on the social and economic impact of the legal sector, which reveal its contribution to GDP and R&D investment. She stressed that Spain has a respectable position in the global rule of law index, but advocates further improvement.

During her presidency, she has focused on five key areas: legal sector impact, artificial intelligence, ESG agenda, gender equality and young lawyer education. Aware of the pressure of being the second woman to lead the IBA, Arpón de Mendívil has been keen to demonstrate that women can excel in leadership positions.

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