Young & Future Lawyers
Your journey starts here
with ECBA by your side
Are you a law student, trainee, or early-career defence lawyer with a passion for criminal justice and human rights?
Whether you’re navigating your first courtroom or building your profile in European criminal law — the ECBA is here to support, connect, and inspire your next steps.
Why join the ECBA Community?
Because ambition needs allies.
At ECBA, we believe that today’s young lawyers are tomorrow’s changemakers.
That’s why we’re committed to helping you grow — not only as a legal professional, but as a voice for justice in Europe and beyond.
Through ECBA, you’ll gain access to a dynamic network of criminal defence lawyers, specialised trainings, cross-border opportunities, and real-world experience that bridges the gap between studies and practice. What You’ll Find Here:
Mentorship & Community
Connect with experienced lawyers across Europe. Learn from their paths — and find guidance for your own.
Opportunities to get involved
Participate in working groups, attend ECBA events, contribute to projects and position papers — and make your voice heard.
Training & resources
Sharpen your knowledge of EU criminal procedure, digital justice, fundamental rights, and cross-border defence work.
International Exposure
Join conversations that shape the future of defence rights in Europe. From Strasbourg to Luxembourg, your legal horizon just got wider.
Upcoming Conferences and Webinars
Join us Friday 15 May, 2026 for the upcoming Extradition Challenges webinar
A Brussels court ordered Belgium to negotiate the return of a wrongly extradited person to the US — a landmark case discussed with Belgian defence lawyer Christophe Marchand.
EFCL Annual Conference 2026, 12 June 2026 in London, United Kingdom
Join the next EFCL Conference which will be a joint conference with the FLA in London!
ECBA Autumn Conference 2026, 2 and 3 October in Tirana, Albania
Join the next ECBA Autumn Conference in Tirana, Albania!
We welcome
Law students
with a focus on criminal law or human rights.
Trainees and junior lawyers
seeking hands-on experience in European cases.
Legal researchers or PhD candidates
exploring cross-border defence topics.
Young professionals
with a drive to connect theory and practice at the European level.
We know it’s not always easy to break into the field — especially across jurisdictions. But you’re not alone.
The ECBA is a space where young and future lawyers aren’t just welcomed — they are needed.
Contact: secretariat@ecba.org
Start where you are. Grow with us. Shape the future.
Latest Posts
Writing a new Statement on the Directive on Combatting Corruption
Preparing an ECBA follow-up position on the final EU Anti-Corruption Directive, assessing reforms and remaining defence-rights concerns in Europe’s evolving enforcement framework.
Strategic litigation and court interventions
The HRC files third-party interventions and amicus briefs in landmark cases before European and domestic courts, ensuring the criminal defence bar shapes the law that governs it.
Drafting and Publishing Statements
The HRC publishes expert statements on judicial independence, lawyer-client privilege, and fair trial rights – driving policy reform and solidarity across Europe and beyond.
Day of the Endangered Lawyer
Every January 24th, ECBA’s HRC stands with persecuted lawyers worldwide coordinating advocacy, public outreach, and legal interventions to defend those who defend others.
Mutual Legal Assistance WG Webinars
The purpose of the MLA working group webinars is to increase knowledge and awareness amongst defence practitioners about the various MLA instruments as well as procedural and other ECHR safeguards in that context.
Engaging with INTERPOL on Policy aspects
The Interpol WG seeks to engage with Interpol on policy, addressing governing shortcomings. We drive dialogue on transparency, fairness, and human rights safeguards, promoting continued improvement in its practices.
EPPO Webinar
The webinar hosts defence lawyers and academics or magistrates that discuss practical issues and experiences regarding EPPO cases from different countries. Their scope is to describe relevant defense issues and to advise the members of the ECBA on how to handle them.
Global Legal Community Calls for the Release of Nasrin Sotoudeh – April 2026
On 10 April 2026, the ECBA and a coalition of 30 international legal organisations issued a formal call for intervention concerning the judicial harassment...
ECBA backs call for implementation of ECtHR and CJEU judgments
The ECBA joined call for the implementation of European Court of Human Rights / Cour européenne des droits de l’homme (ECtHR) and Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) judgments.
ECBA Meets ECtHR on Case Processing and Expansion
Chair Vânia Costa Ramos and Human Rights Officer Alexis Anagnostakis attended the European Court of Human Rights’ Meeting with NGOs and Litigators in Strasbourg.
ECBA & LATR Submit Joint Response to INTERPOL’s CCF Statute Amendments
The ECBA and Lawyers Against Transnational Repression have submitted a joint response to INTERPOL’s Committee on the Processing of Data (CPD) regarding proposed amendments to the CCF Statute.
ECBA & LATR Joint Submission: Reforming INTERPOL’s Oversight – March 2026
The ECBA and Lawyers Against Transnational Repression (LATR) have submitted a joint response to INTERPOL’s Committee on the Processing of Data (CPD) regarding proposed amendments to the CCF Statute.