The French Bar Association (Conseil national des barreaux, CNB), a public interest body as well as a legal entity, is the national institution that represents all practicing lawyers in France, with all lawyers also being registered in one of 161 local bars. The CNB was given some very specific responsibilities by law, and the way it works is governed by legal provisions and decrees, backed by internal rules. Its most extensive field of activity is representing the legal profession in France and abroad. The CNB joined ELIL as a shareholder in 2019.