Lawyers: Not a Necessary Evil, But an Indispensable Good

by Julia Gil

As the Christmas season approaches, it's natural to reflect on the achievements of the past year and look ahead to the improvements we aspire to make. This time of year often brings a renewed focus on our goals—some personal, others professional—all contributing to a delicate balance.

In this context, the International Bar Association's (IBA) Report on the Social and Economic Impact of the Legal Profession, developed with support from McKinsey & Company, sheds light on the profound role lawyers play globally. This groundbreaking study quantifies how the work of over 12 million lawyers worldwide directly and indirectly impacts the lives, health, and well-being of people everywhere.

Almudena Arpón de Mendívil, president of the IBA and partner at Gómez-Acebo & Pombo, highlighted during the report's presentation at IE University in Madrid that the legal profession drives economic growth, fosters innovation and education, curbs governmental overreach, builds trust, reduces inequality, and advances environmental sustainability. These effects, documented in the report, demonstrate the tangible value of legal professionals to society. As Madrid’s Mayor and State Attorney, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, succinctly put it during the event, lawyers “are not a necessary evil, but an indispensable good.”

Some may have had it on their bucket list and others may simply be trying to achieve it unconsciously in their day-to-day work. At the end of the day, what matters is that we finally know that the daily work of these professionals has a measurable impact on many key areas of life for citizens around the world.

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