PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
Dear participants,
Please find below a downloadable overview of the Congress programme while we continue integrating the full programme into this website.
Additional details and updates will be shared shortly.
We are excited to welcome you and look forward to enjoying this Congress together.
- Sunday, August 23
- Monday, August 24
- Tuesday, August 25
- Wednesday, August 26
- Thursday, August 27
- Friday, August 28
- Saturday, August 29
SCILL Coaching Sessions
Individual coaching sessions with professional SCILL coaches. Pre-registration required. Three coaches available simultaneously.
🕐 13:00–17:30
Executive Committee (EC) Meeting
Full Executive Committee meeting chaired by the AIJA President.
🕐 13:00–15:30
National Representatives Committee (NRC) Meeting
Meeting of all National Representatives to discuss country-level updates and NRC initiatives.
🕐 15:30–16:15
Joint APC + OCC Meeting for all Commissions Officers
Joint meeting of all Commissions Officers with the Academic Programme Committee and Officers of the Commissions Committee.
🕐 15:45–16:30
Human Rights Committee (HRC) Meeting
All participants of the congress and/or AIJA members are welcome to join.
🕐 16:15–16:45
SCILL Board Meeting
All participants of the congress and/or AIJA members are welcome to join.
🕐 16:15–16:45
Sustainability Board Meeting
All participants of the congress and/or AIJA members are welcome to join.
🕐 16:45–17:15
AIJA Women Network (AWN) Meeting
All participants of the congress and/or AIJA members are welcome to join.
🕐 16:45–17:15
Speed Networking and AIJA – Report on Sustainability
Whether you are a first-time attendee or a regular participant in AIJA events, here is the perfect way to start the AIJA Annual Congress week. Meet a crowd of like-minded young legal professionals already on the first day and start your Congress experience with an amazing and fun networking moment: the Speed networking session!
Prepare your pitch and some questions, and get ready for a big dose of friendly spirit!
🕐 18:00-19:15
Welcome Reception at WU Vienna
The 64th International Young Lawyers’ Congress Welcome Reception will take place in the iconic Library & Learning Center of the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna), designed by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid. With its bold, futuristic architecture, the building forms the striking centrepiece of WU Vienna’s campus and provides an exceptional setting to open the Congress.
Join fellow participants in this exceptional venue and enjoy an evening of drinks, appetisers, and meaningful conversations as the Congress begins. Take the opportunity to experience WU Vienna’s most distinctive examples of contemporary architecture, and celebrate the start of an unforgettable Congress in the “City of Ideas”.
🕐 19:15-20:15
Optional Dinner @ Luftburg
As one of Vienna’s most distinctive culinary venues and the world’s largest fully certified organic restaurant, Luftburg – Kolarik im Prater combines traditional Austrian hospitality, sustainable cuisine, and a warm atmosphere surrounded by greenery.
Join fellow participants for an unforgettable evening featuring authentic Austrian flavours, drinks, and meaningful conversations in this exceptional setting. Enjoy the relaxed charm of the Prater while experiencing a venue where tradition meets sustainability, creating the perfect atmosphere to continue connecting and celebrating the Congress experience.
After dinner, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll back to the hotel through the Wurstelprater, one of the world’s oldest amusement parks still in operation, where Vienna’s rich history and vibrant spirit come together.
🕐 20:15-22:30
AIJA Run for Human Rights
Every great concert begins with a shared rhythm. Join fellow delegates for a refreshing morning run through the heart of Vienna, where every stride becomes part of a collective movement.
Inspired by this year’s conference theme, “LAWYERS IN CONCERT: Connecting, Creating, and Committing to Service,” this run is an opportunity to connect beyond the conference halls, create new conversations, and experience the harmony that comes from moving forward together. As we run through one of the world’s great musical capitals, we’ll be reminded that, much like an orchestra, the legal profession is strongest when diverse voices come together with a shared purpose. Whether you set the pace or simply enjoy being part of the ensemble, all are welcome. Let’s find our rhythm, make meaningful connections, and start the day in concert.
🕐 07:00-08:00
SCILL Coaching Sessions
Individual coaching sessions with professional SCILL coaches. Pre-registration required. Three coaches available simultaneously.
🕐 08:00–17:00
Welcome Address & Opening Plenary Session – Lawyers in Concert: Connecting, Creating, and Committing to Service
The opening plenary sets the tone for the congress, welcoming delegates and introducing the academic programme and the congress theme. In a conversation with two guests, former AIJA Presidents Saverio Lembo and Dirk Nuyts, all delegates are invited to reflect on the do’s and don’ts of networking within AIJA. Who will be the (next) AIJA Rainmaker?
🕐 09:00-10:00
Session 1 – The Tone at the Top: When Governance Structures Fail — Compliance Breakdowns, Liability and Corporate Crime
What to do in a situation of crisis? This interactive session combines a keynote on leadership dynamics and ‘shadow hierarchies’ with a live boardroom simulation placing participants inside a corporate crisis. The scenario: a listed company under market and transaction pressure faces aggressive revenue practices, ESG reporting concerns and a whistleblower allegation, forcing the board to act amid legal, investor and reputational risk. Guided by cross-border expert practitioners, participants will advise the directors and management in real time on disclosure duties, investigations, transaction decisions and liability exposure, exploring how governance design and incentive systems can either prevent misconduct — or trigger it.
🕐 10:30-11:45
Session 2 – Playdates, Paydates and Privacy: The Legal Life of Family Influencers
Family life has moved online – and, increasingly, it is monetised. Family influencers, sharenting and child influencers raise complex cross-border questions at the intersection of family law, privacy and data protection, IP/media and platform law, and private clients / wealth planning. This session will explore the legal and ethical fault lines when creating, sharing, and monetizing content turns family life into a business model, offering a practical, lawyer-to-lawyer discussion on the legal risks arising when personal relationships and online businesses collide.
🕐 10:30-11:45
Intermezzo 1 – Conducting Complexity
In the concert hall, there are moments when everything depends on what happens in the next few seconds. A conductor stands in front of dozens of highly trained musicians, a hall full of expectations and no second chance. Legal practice knows similar moments: decisions must be made under pressure, with incomplete information and often in front of highly capable counterparts. Drawing on expertise developed through many years as an orchestral conductor and executive coach, Ingo Stadtmuller will explore with the participants how to navigate such situations with clarity and confidence.
🕐 11:45-12:30
AIJA Commission Meetings
Parallel commission meetings held alongside Intermezzo 1:
• Intellectual Property, Technology, Media, and Telecommunications – Park Suite 9
• International Private Clients & Family Law – Grand Klimt Hall 1
• Labour Law (+ Immigration Law) – Park Suite 5
• International Business Law (+ Sports Law) – Park Suite 7
• Business Crime & Civil Fraud – Park Suite 6
🕐 11:45–12:30
First Timers Lunch at Hilton
If this is your first AIJA Congress or first AIJA event, this is the perfect opportunity to meet fellow first-timers, experienced Congress attendees, and AIJA officers. Connect with new peers, gain insights into the AIJA spirit, and get the most out of your Vienna Congress experience.
🕐 12:30-14:00
Seminar Crashcourse by APC
Top tips for organising an AIJA seminar. Presented by the Academic Programme Committee.
🕐 13:30–14:15
Session 3 – The Courage to Challenge: How Young Professionals Drive Cultural Change in their Law Firms
Change rarely comes from the top alone. In this interactive panel, participants of the Agents of Change program share real stories of questioning outdated leadership models, redefining success, and creating psychological safety in high-performance environments. What works? What backfires? And how do you build allies without burning bridges?
🕐 13:30-14:15
Workshop 1 – Breathe Fire in the Dragons’ Den: Legal Deal-Making for Healthcare Innovators & Investors
Enter the ‘Dragons’ Den’. An Austrian experienced entrepreneur of a healthcare company will open this practical workshop with a short pitch and a true life story of a company’s development from a start-up to insolvency, followed by a fast-paced panel unpacking the deal’s pressure points. The audience will split into mixed deal teams to tackle investor and founder perspectives using a mini term sheet + DD snapshot + deal fact pattern, supported by the speakers and AI-assisted drafting. Teams will pitch their solution on stage and face rapid-fire questions from the ‘Dragons’.
🕐 14:30-16:00
Workshop 2 – Market Power vs Manpower: When Antitrust and Employment Law Collide
Over the past few years, there has been increased interest in antitrust investigations in the employment arena. Non-poaching agreements and wage fixing only scratch the surface of possible antitrust violations in the employment sphere. This practical workshop addresses this new legal landscape from different stakeholder perspectives, including a keynote speaker, interactive panel and small group discussions of a case study to identify actionable solutions.
🕐 14:30-16:00
Session 4 – Victims at the Centre: Trauma-Informed Justice in Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling
How does trauma shape a victim’s ability to engage with the legal system — and what does this mean for lawyers handling trafficking cases? This session brings together UNODC & IOM experts and practitioners to explore credibility challenges, access to legal aid, and the practical realities victims face during investigations and prosecutions.
🕐 16:30-17:30
AIJA Commission Meetings
Parallel commission meetings:
• Tax Law – Park Suite 5
• Healthcare and Life Sciences – Park Suite 10
• Environmental and Energy Law – Park Suite 8
• Antitrust – Park Suite 6
🕐 17:30–18:15
Opening Ceremony & Dinner @ Konzerthaus
There is no more fitting stage on which to open a Congress themed “Lawyers in Concert” than the Wiener Konzerthaus – one of the world’s great houses of music, where the Vienna of Beethoven, Brahms and Mahler still resonates through every hall.
Join us for the official Opening Ceremony of the AIJA Annual Congress, where our Congress Co-Chairs and the AIJA President will set the tone for the week ahead. This year the ceremony strikes a special chord: renowned conductor and three-time Grammy Award-winning producer Christian Gansch – who once performed some 200 concerts in this very hall – takes the stage as our keynote speaker, drawing on the striking parallels between a world-class orchestra and a thriving professional community: diverse voices, a shared score, and the harmony that comes from playing together. The evening is set to the music of the celebrated Janoska Ensemble, whose signature blend of classical brilliance and virtuoso improvisation will carry us from Strauss’ “Fledermaus” to their own inimitable style.
As the final notes fade, the celebration continues with a festive walking dinner throughout the elegant foyers and halls of the Konzerthaus, followed by an evening of music, dancing and connection – the perfect overture to an unforgettable week in Vienna.
🕐 19:00–02:00
Meditation Session
Short morning meditation session to start the congress day with focus and calm. Open to all delegates.
🕐 08:30–08:45
SCILL Coaching Sessions
Individual coaching sessions with professional SCILL coaches. Pre-registration required. Three coaches available simultaneously.
🕐 08:00–17:00
Workshop 3 – Untangling the Orchestra: Procedural and Substantive Battles in a Cross-Border Supply Chain Dispute
This interactive workshop immerses participants in a real-world cross-border supply chain dispute, where musical instrument orders collide with contractual complications, logistical delays, and competing legal frameworks. Through dynamic roundtable discussions, participants will tackle the strategic and procedural complexities of asymmetrical arbitration and jurisdictional clauses, interim measures in international disputes and force majeure defenses, sharing insights from their own jurisdictions and practices.
🕐 09:00-10:30
Workshop 4 – Creating Cities That Care: Applying Lessons from Vienna and Beyond to Inclusive and Safe Urban Design
Cities are evolving rapidly as they face the challenges of sustainability, social inclusion, climate change, and new mobility needs. This workshop brings together professionals from a wide range of disciplines to explore how legal frameworks and innovative planning can help shape better cities. It features a keynote speech by Claudia Brey, Chairwoman of ÖBB Immobilien GmbH, and connects theory with practice through an example of a landmark redevelopment project in Vienna.
After the opening keynote, the panel discussion and a quick transfer, the second part of the workshop features a guided tour of one of Vienna’s flagship urban development projects: the Nordbahnviertel. Representatives of the City of Vienna will offer participants unique insights into how the principles of inclusive, safe, and high-quality urban development are translated from theory into practice (duration – including transfer back – approximately until 12:30). Please note: The number of participants for the tour is limited. Registration can be made directly during the workshop itself.
🕐 09:00-10:30
Session 5 – The Insolvency Beat: Setting the Tempo in Integrated Capital Markets
This session focuses on the critical intersection between insolvency law and the functioning of capital markets, in the EU and beyond: how markets respond as insolvency risk builds or crystallizes, what that does to new-issue pricing, collateral and liquidity, and how those dynamics drive the decisions of issuers, investors, banks and market operators. Features a keynote speech by Jakub Michalik, Chief Policy Officer and Member of the Executive Committee at Euronext.
🕐 11:00-12:00
Session 6 – Phantom Carriers, Digital Identities and Platform Risk: How to Handle Fraud Cases in Global Logistics and the Digital Economy
Fraudsters posing as legitimate carriers: what to do when clients are facing a “phantom carrier” situation and are unable to trace the location of the goods. In such cases, timing is crucial to protect the client’s interests, and counsel must act promptly. Lawyers with any legal background will leave this session with practical insights. This session will also address the broader role of digital identity, platform risk and online verification in the digital economy. It will explore how reliance on digital credentials, online profiles and platform-based trust mechanisms may create opportunities for fraud, and how lawyers can assess risk, evidence, responsibility and liability when digital identity is misused.
🕐 11:00-12:00
AIJA Commission Meetings
Parallel commission meetings held alongside Intermezzo 2:
• Public Procurement Law – Park Suite 6
• Real Estate – Park Suite 8
• T.R.A.D.E. (Trade, Retail, Agency, Distribution, E-commerce) – Park Suite 9
• Banking, Finance and Capital Markets – Park Suite 7
• Insolvency – Park Suite 5
• International Arbitration – Park Suite 10
• Transport and Logistics Law – Grand Klimt Hall 2
🕐 12:00–12:45
Intermezzo 2 – Orchestrating Your Professional Path
Professional careers rarely unfold in straight lines. They develop more like a musical score – shaped by preparation, decisive moments, unexpected transitions and the willingness to redefine one’s role over time. This intermezzo demonstrates in a practical and interactive manner how to read and develop the score of your career journey.
🕐 12:00-12:45
Last Timers Lunch
If you are overaging in Vienna, or in the next couple of years, this networking luncheon offers a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow peers. It’s a moment to celebrate your AIJA journey and reflect on your future engagement in international legal networks.
🕐 12:45-13:45
Session 7 – Delivering Future-Forward Impact: Unlocking In-House Counsels’ Full Potential
Successful in-house legal departments are expected to deliver measurable value on complex topics with limited resources. This panel focuses on legal project management and influencing stakeholders as key enablers of performance. In-house counsel will discuss how structured project management and the ability to successfully influence stakeholders add value and improve transparency, efficiency, and outcomes — and how the right KPIs help turn legal teams from back office into strategic value drivers.
🕐 13:45-14:45
Session 8 – Legal Soundcheck: from Local Gig to International Tours
As performing artists and entertainers take their careers internationally, they face a range of legal and tax challenges that go far beyond the stage. This session will explore key cross-border issues such as structuring international performance and management agreements, navigating local regulations and understanding the tax implications of global touring and revenue streams. A dynamic, practice-oriented session for those working at the intersection of international business and culture.
🕐 13:45-14:45
First-Vice President Interview
Public interview with candidates standing for AIJA First Vice-President.
🕐 14:45–15:30
National/ Regional Initiatives
During this timeslot different national/ regional activities will take place. Details are communicated by your AIJA National Representative.
In the Grand Park Hall the National Representative for Hungary will host a lecture by Profession Andrea Petó, originally organised as an initiative for the Hungarian delegates. As the initiative gained momentum and the topic attracted broader interest, we are very pleased to open it to the entire Congress audience.
Professor Andrea Pető (link) is a Professor at the Department of Gender Studies at Central European University in Vienna and a Research Affiliate of the CEU Democracy Institute based in Budapest. She is an internationally recognized scholar in the field of gender studies, whose work has been translated into 26 languages and whose contributions have been recognized, among others, with the Madame de Staël Prize for Cultural Values and the University of Oslo Human Rights Award. The title of her contribution is “Introduction to Gender and Its Impact on Employment”.
The session will be hosted by Gábor Kerekes (National Representative for Hungary) and Dóra Nagy.
🕐 16:00–17:00
National / Regional Meetings
Country and regional group meetings organised by the NRC.
🕐 17:30–18:15
Home Hospitality Dinner
Delegates are hosted for dinner at the private homes of Vienna-based lawyers. A beloved AIJA tradition.
🕐 19:30–23:00
Home Hospitality Afterparty @ Volksgarten
Join us for an unforgettable Home Hospitality Afterparty at the legendary Volksgarten Vienna, where timeless elegance meets the city’s vibrant nightlife. Enjoy great music, refreshing drinks, and an exceptional atmosphere as we conclude an inspiring day in true Viennese style. Let’s continue the concert – where great minds meet, friendships grow, and the celebration begins.
Following dinner, the night continues with an AIJA private afterparty, ensuring an unforgettable experience until 03:00.
🕐 23:00–03:00
Meditation Session
Short morning meditation session to start the congress day with focus and calm. Open to all delegates.
🕐 08:30–08:45
SCILL Coaching Sessions
Individual coaching sessions with professional SCILL coaches. Pre-registration required. Three coaches available simultaneously.
🕐 08:00–17:00
AIJA Commission Meetings
Parallel commission meetings:
• Corporate and M&A – 📍Grand Park Hall 1–2
• Litigation – 📍Grand Klimt Hall 1–2
🕐 09:00–10:00
Workshop 5 – Part I – Pricing with Confidence: Turning Value into Revenue in Modern Legal Practice
This interactive session explores how lawyers can approach pricing as a strategic business development tool rather than an uncomfortable afterthought. Drawing on insights from general counsels globally, benchmarking from law firms, and lessons from consulting and other professional services industries, the session unpacks how value is perceived, positioned and translated into fees. Participants leave with a clear, step-based plan they can apply immediately, including how to navigate client conversations, alternative fee models and the growing influence of AI on pricing decisions.
🕐 10:00-11:00
Workshop 5 Breakout I – AI and Pricing of Transactional Work
Building on Part I, this Breakout explores how AI is reshaping value-based pricing in transactional practices. Through practical examples, participants will examine how automation, document-generation tools and data-driven risk assessment influence deal timelines, staffing, and perceived client value. The session offers concrete strategies for positioning and communicating fees in a market where efficiency gains challenge traditional pricing models.
🕐 11:30-12:30
Workshop 5 Breakout II – AI and Pricing in Litigation & Investigations
Building on Part I, this Breakout focuses on pricing in matters where uncertainty, complexity and case dynamics make value assessment more challenging. Participants will explore how AI-powered tools — from early case assessment to document review and predictive analytics — affect cost drivers and client expectations. The session provides practical guidance on structuring fee models for high-stakes disputes and investigations.
🕐 11:30-12:30
Honorary Members Lunch at Heunisch & Erben
This year’s Honorary Members Lunch will take place at Heunisch & Erben. This is an acclaimed Viennese wine restaurant in the city’s 3rd district, honoured by Gault&Millau and featured in the Michelin Guide. Named after the historic Heunisch grape, it serves refined Austrian cuisine and classics alongside an exceptional wine list, offering a warm, distinctly local setting for the Honorary Members Lunch.
🕐 12:30-13:30
CALL TO ACTION – Governing AI: The Young Lawyer’s Voice
Artificial intelligence is transforming the legal profession at an unprecedented pace, and young lawyers are uniquely positioned not only to adapt to this change, but to help shape it. This session explores how the next generation of legal professionals, within AIJA, can play an active role in the policy debates defining the governance of AI – from regulatory frameworks and ethical standards to the future of legal education and access to justice.
🕐 13:30-14:00
Session 9 / AWN Session – The Invisible ‘Rules’: Gender, Bias, and Power Dynamics Young Women Lawyers Still Face and How to Overcome Them
Being perceived as ‘too young’, ‘too emotional’, ‘too female’, ‘too bossy’, or ‘not authoritative enough’; being interrupted, overlooked, or denied proper credit — these are just some of the invisible hurdles that, despite significant progress, women continue to face in the legal profession. This session explores the invisible ‘rules’ and unwritten expectations — unconscious bias, gendered assumptions, cultural norms, power structures and the double standards women face — and focuses on how to challenge them and create a fairer and more equitable legal profession.
🕐 14:00-15:00
Day Out & Get-Together Dinner @ Schlosshof
From Courtroom to Courtyard – The Castle Fair
Get ready to trade the conference halls for open skies, as we head to the stunning Schloss Hof, one of Austria’s most beautiful baroque palaces, nestled in the countryside just outside Vienna.
This year, we’re bringing the spirit of a traditional “Kirtag” — the Austrian countryside fair, full of good food, folk music, and lively celebration — right into the palace grounds. Think market stalls, hearty regional specialties, local wine and beer, and the kind of rustic, joyful atmosphere that has marked harvest and village festivals across Austria for centuries. As a highlight learn how to dance the Quadrille so you’ll be ready for the midnight happening at the Gala Night.
Shuttle buses will be provided between the Hilton Vienna Park and Schloss Hof for both the outbound and return journeys.
Departure from the Hilton Vienna Park to Schloss Hof: 15:00
Return shuttle service from Schloss Hof: beginning at 22:00, with buses departing every hour
Last shuttle departure: 02:00
🕐 16:00–02:00
Meditation Session
Short morning meditation session to start the congress day with focus and calm. Open to all delegates.
🕐 08:30–08:45
AIJA Annual General Assembly Meeting (AGM)
Annual General Assembly in two sessions:
(10:00–11:30) Session 1 ,
(11:30–12:00) Break ,
(12:00–12:45) Session 2
Livestreamed via YouTube.
🕐 10:00–12:45
Soccer Match at Sportcenter Donau City
Wrap up your unforgettable Congress experience with a sport event in the afternoon before the Gala Dinner! Get ready for a few hours of friendly competition, team spirit, and great company as we come together for one last thrilling activity in Vienna.
Enjoy exciting gameplay, and a lively atmosphere — the perfect way to bid farewell to an incredible week before the grand finale. Please bring your own drinks.
🕐 15:00–17:00
Gala Dinner & Farewell Afterparty at Hofburg Palace
Black-tie Gala Dinner at the Imperial Hofburg Palace. Plated dinner, live entertainment and farewell afterparty.
🕐 19:00–02:00
Optional Networking Brunch at Fuhrgassl-Huber
Optional farewell brunch at the Fuhrgassl-Huber winery in the Vienna hills.
🕐 11:00–14:00
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