The International Bar Association (IBA): A Story Of Leadership And Success

The International Bar Association (IBA): A Story of Leadership and Success

Fernando Peláez-Pier
Hoet Peláez Castillo Duque
Caracas, Venezuela

The IBA was founded on February 17, 1947 by a group of 34 national bar associations that were encouraged by the mission of the United Nations (UN), which aimed to establish cohesive systems of law and justice on a global scale.

Today, 68 years later, the IBA is the leading association of lawyers known as “the global voice of the legal profession.” In this article, we will go over the history of the IBA and why it has gained its leading position among bar associations, law societies, and practicing lawyers from around the world.

For the success of any organization, it is essential that it must have

Within the IBA, we find “leaders who demonstrate persistence, tenacity, determination, and synergistic communication skills bringing out the same qualities in their groups. Good leaders use their own inner mentors to energize their team and organizations and lead a team to achieve success.” (ii)

IBA’s leaders are individual practicing lawyers, holding positions at all different levels of the association, from sub-committees’ officers up to the president. The need for leaders at all levels is a requirement for an association to build and maintain its leadership, and there is no doubt that this has been the stone to build the success of the IBA.

Ogbonnia (2007) defines an effective leader "as an individual with the capacity to consistently succeed in a given condition and be viewed as meeting the expectations of an organization or society. Leaders are recognized by their capacity for caring for others, clear communication, and a commitment to persist.” (iii) Among other characteristics, a leader must also be intelligent, assertive, energetic and flexible, with initiative, good judgment and strong