ANJB x FLD: a partnership that brings students and professionals together

The partnership established between the Faculty of Law of the Université Catholique de Lille and the ANJB (National Association of Banking Lawyers) reflects a strong commitment to bridging the gap between the academic world and professionals in the banking and financial sector. The symposium organised on 12 March 2026 on compliance issues, particularly in relation to the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing, is a recent example of this, though not the only one, and is linked in particular to the C3RD’s Chair in Business Ethics: Compliance & ESG, Sustainability Reporting.

Since 2022, this collaboration resulted in the creation of the ANJB’s first regional branch in Hauts-de-France, with the support of the faculty. It marks an important milestone in the development of a local network of banking lawyers and in the association’s establishment within the region.

As highlighted by Jérôme Denieau, Legal Adviser in the Legal Department of Groupe BPCE and Head of Communications at the ANJB: “The Faculty of Law of the Université Catholique de Lille is not only our first partner, but also the first partner of the ANJB’s first regional branch. This is a powerful symbol.”

This partnership is based on a shared ambition: to establish a network of banking lawyers in the region and to build concrete links between university education and professional practice. “It is this connection between academic and professional worlds, one of the ANJB’s objectives, that led to the establishment of this partnership”, explains Jérôme Denieau.

In this context, collaborative initiatives are multiplying, combining research (particularly through the work of the C3RD), knowledge-sharing and networking. Talks by legal directors, professional meetings, mentoring programmes and regular exchanges enable students to gain a better understanding of the realities of the profession and to engage directly with practitioners. “The ANJB has always aimed to engage not only with practising legal professionals, but also with future lawyers, by reaching out to them whilst they are still at university”, he adds.

This direct connection is a key tool for supporting students as they develop their career plans. It also informs the thinking of legal practitioners, against a backdrop of transformation within the legal profession, particularly driven by technological advancements and artificial intelligence.

The symposium held on 12 March was therefore fully in line with this approach, bringing together students, academic staff, legal experts, banking professionals and regulatory authorities to discuss current issues. These round-table discussions demonstrated the partnership’s ability to create opportunities for dialogue that benefit all stakeholders.

Through this collaboration, the Faculty of Law and the ANJB are demonstrating a shared ambition: to keep pace with developments in banking and financial law, to strengthen ties between the sector’s stakeholders, and to prepare the legal professionals of tomorrow to thrive in a demanding and constantly changing environment.