The Creation of the “Red de Abogadas y Abogados”: A New Voice for Independent Lawyers - Confilegal
A Network Born from the First Congress of Independent Lawyers
Following two days of debate at the University of Córdoba, nearly 400 lawyers approved the creation of Red de Abogadas y Abogados, an organisation designed to represent the 85% of practitioners who do not belong to large or mid-sized firms and who often face structural challenges in the legal market.
The initiative, proposed by José Muelas, aims to respond to issues such as the progressive reduction of lawyers’ professional competences, limited public investment in justice and the increasing presence of intermediaries in the legal services market.
Del Canto’s Contribution: Legal Services Regulation in the UK
During the Congress, León Fernando del Canto, barrister in England and Wales, presented the UK Legal Services Act, a regulatory framework that clearly defines the activities and responsibilities of all regulated legal professionals. He outlined how the model—supported by a Legal Services Board and a Consumer Panel—could serve as inspiration for a future Spanish legal services law.
Next Steps for the New Organisation
A provisional committee has been appointed to determine the most suitable legal structure for the new network, which may take the form of an association, foundation or other entity. Its founders emphasise that the organisation will operate as a flexible, non-hierarchical, collaborative network, designed to adapt to the needs of independent legal professionals.