Corporate Lawyers Now Hold More Power Than Ever. Their Compassion Matters.

The Lawyer Leadership Summit will convene Harvard faculty, general counsel, and senior legal leaders in Ischia, Italy, to explore how compassion is shaping decision-making in the legal profession.

NEW YORK, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lawyer Leadership Summit, a gathering of general counsel, law firm partners, judges, and legal scholars, will take place June 20–24 in Ischia, Italy, bringing together leaders to explore how compassion and judgment are shaping modern legal decision-making.

In a time of institutional distrust and rapid technological change, legal scholars argue that corporate lawyers have become among the most powerful — and least visible — decision-makers shaping modern institutions.

"We are living through a historic shift: many corporations now rival or exceed governments in power," said Elizabeth Pyjov, a law professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. "And the moral compass of those institutions often rests with their general counsel and senior legal leaders. Corporate lawyers rarely appear in headlines, but their decisions quietly shape the rules governing millions of people."

Pyjov, a law professor who holds three Harvard degrees and studied the neuroscience of compassion at Stanford Medical School, has worked with institutions including the Library of Congress, Deutsche Bank, and the New York State Supreme Court.

"We often debate the ethics of corporations," said Pyjov. "But the ethical judgment of corporate lawyers matters more today than ever." She argues that because senior lawyers influence the lives of millions, compassion education can play an important role in legal leadership.

"A lawyer impacts nearly every transaction in the world," said Pyjov. "To create a more compassionate world, we need more compassionate lawyers."

Pyjov will explore these ideas further with legal leaders including Harvard Law School Executive Education Director Scott Westfahl, Harvard philosophy professor Michael Puett, Legal Mentor Network founder Brian Potts, and Harvard Divinity School former dean and professor David Hempton at the upcoming Lawyer Leadership Summit, June 20–24, in Ischia, Italy.

"Lawyers are trained to analyze rules and outcomes, but leadership in law increasingly requires understanding the human impact of those decisions," said Harvard Law School Executive Education Director Scott Westfahl. "Compassion isn't softness. It's judgment. In a time of institutional distrust, lawyers may be one of the last professional groups protecting fairness and accountability in our society."

"As artificial intelligence reshapes institutions, the human judgment of legal leaders matters more than ever," said Pyjov. "Compassion is how lawyers add value in an AI-driven world. It's what helps ensure our laws remain humane."

"Every generation faces moments when power expands faster than our ethical frameworks," said Harvard professor Michael Puett. "In those moments, compassion becomes not a luxury but a necessity — and a discipline we can cultivate by drawing on the history, philosophy, and anthropology of ancient cultures."

The Lawyer Leadership Summit (www.lawleadershipsummit.net) brings together general counsel, law firm partners, judges, and legal scholars to explore leadership, compassion, and ethical decision-making in the legal profession. The 2026 summit will take place June 20–24 in Ischia, Italy. It is hosted by Lead with Compassion and the Legal Mentor Network, in collaboration with Scott Westfahl of Harvard Law School Executive Education.

SOURCE Lawyer Leadership Summit