Lawfare and Lawfair in the Age of Populism

New York attorney Robert Bernstein will lead a session during the Rule of Law Symposium that will conclude the International Bar Association's (IBA) 2026 Annual Conference in Copenhagen. The IBA's Rule of Law Symposium unites leading legal voices from across the globe to talk about the most pressing challenges confronting practitioners today. Robert's presentation will look at "lawfare," or how the legal process has been weaponized to go after perceived political opponents. He will review examples in multiple jurisdictions before explaining what this trend means for the rise of populism and the rule of law itself.