IPBA
scholaRship program
The Inter-Pacific Bar Association (‘IPBA’) is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for the IPBA Scholarship Program to enable practicing lawyers to attend the IPBA Annual Meeting & Conference to be held in Chicago.
What is the IPBA Scholarship Program?
The IPBA Scholarship Program was originally established in honour of the memory of M..S.. Lin of Taipei, who was one of the founders and a Past President of the IPBA. Today it operates to bring to the IPBA Annual Meeting and Conference lawyers who would not otherwise be able to attend and who would both contribute to, and benefit from, attending. The Scholarship Program is also intended to endorse the IPBA’s mission to develop the law and its practice in the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, the scholarships are principally funded by The Japan Fund, established and supported by lawyers in Japan to honour IPBA’s accomplishments since its founding; the Host Committee of the Annual Meeting and Conference in Vancouver, Canada, 2014; and a generous donation by the family of M.S. Lin, a Past President of the IPBA.
During the conference, the Scholars will enjoy the opportunity to meet key members of the legal community of the Asia-Pacific region through a series of unique and prestigious receptions, lectures, workshops, and social events. Each selected Scholar will be responsible to attend the Conference in its entirety, and to provide a report of his/her experience to the IPBA after the conference. The program aims to provide the Scholars with substantial tools and cross-border knowledge to assist them in building their careers in their home country. Following the conference, the Scholars will enjoy three years of IPBA membership and will be invited to join a dedicated social networking forum to remain in contact with each other while developing a network with other past and future Scholars.
Who is eligible to be an IPBA Scholar?
There are two categories of lawyers, as listed below, eligible to become an IPBA Scholar:
Lawyers from Developing Countries
To be eligible, the applicants must:
- be a citizen of and be admitted to practice in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, or the Pacific Islands;
- be fluent in both written and spoken English (the conference language); and
- currently maintain a cross-border practice or desire to become engaged in cross-border practice.
Young Lawyers
To be eligible, the applicants must:
- be under 35 years of age at the time of application and have less than seven years of post-qualification experience;
- be fluent in both written and spoken English (given this is the conference language);
- have taken an active role in the legal profession in their respective countries; and
- currently maintain a cross-border practice or desire to become engaged in cross-border practice.
Preference will be given to applicants who would otherwise be unable to attend the conference because of personal or family financial circumstances, and/or because they are working for a small firm without a budget to allow them to attend.
Former Scholars will be considered only under extraordinary circumstances.
How to apply to become an IPBA Scholar
To apply for an IPBA Scholarship, complete an application form and return it to the IPBA Secretariat in Tokyo no later than 30 September 2024. Application forms are available to download from this page.
Completed applications should be sent by e-mail attachment to:
The IPBA Secretariat
E-mail: ipbascholarships@ipba.org
What happens once a candidate is selected?
- IPBA will notify each successful applicant that he or she has been awarded an IPBA Scholarship. The notification will be provided at least two months prior to the start of the IPBA Annual Conference. Unsuccessful candidates will also be notified.
- Airfare will be agreed upon, reimbursed or paid for by, and accommodation will be arranged and paid for by the IPBA Secretariat after consultation with the selected Scholars.
- The Scholar agrees that there shall be no deviation from the conference schedule in terms of flights and accommodations, and no family members, friends, or colleagues may stay with the Scholar in the accommodation provided by the IPBA.
- It is the Scholar’s responsibility to verify the need for a visa to enter the conference venue jurisdiction. All costs associated with applying for and obtaining a visa shall be borne by the Scholar.
- A liaison appointed by the IPBA will introduce each Scholar to the IPBA and help the Scholar obtain the utmost benefit from the IPBA Annual Conference.
- Each selected scholar will be responsible to attend the Conference in its entirety, and to provide a report of his/her experience to the IPBA after the Conference.
