The first-semester law conference series ended on a high note with the session led by the president of the Barcelona Lawyer’s Association (ICAB), Maria Eugènia Gay. In her talk, she urged the students to fight for people’s rights. “Make your voice heard – for it’s the voice of the people”.

Maria Eugènia Gay admitted that the legal profession is “very tough” and that a lawyer never stops reading the law, but it’s also an exciting profession which allows you to keep public authorities in check and defend the general public, while always maintaining the highest of ethical standards. “The pillar of our profession is ethical behaviour”, she pointed out. 

As far as their future career is concerned, Maria Eugènia Gay urged the students to think about what they really want to do in the legal world, where she said what really counts as “a great lawyer is someone who has the respect of his or her professional colleagues”. 

As for the ICAB, the Dean revealed that there are currently 25,000 members in the 183-year-old institution. “We advocate proper professional practice and offer high-quality services”, she noted. As a last point, she explained matters such as the internal organisation of the ICAB, its fees and the training services on offer.