The Yanks are coming.

Despite recent reports to the contrary, the US-UK team working on the American Bar Association's London 2000 Conference this July is bullish about the successful event we have in store.Estimates suggest that £33 million will be pumped into London's economy as a result.

Delegate registration is picking up and vigorous marketing will pull in more visitors.So why the interest? The fact is that members of the legal profession from the UK and the US have much to share.'Common law/common bond', as the London conference is titled, offers a great opportunity for lawyers from both sides of the Atlantic to explore their common ground and help each other approach the future with confidence.The historical links between the professions and the practice of the law are there to be seen.

The great codifier of English law, Blackstone, is known for his influence on the US constitution.

More recently, global markets for l egal services have seen law firms transplant themselves from the US to London -- and vice versa.

And clients rightly demand trans-Atlantic capability.So the ABA meeting in London, 15-20 July, promises a stimulating, informative and intellectually challenging exchange for practising attorneys, solicitors and barristers from all areas of practice for both personal and professional growth.

As deadlines for advance registration approach, US lawyers are reserving their places at the meeting to take advantage of the unparalleled opportunity to take stock of the common legal heritage they share with their English counterparts.Conference planners are adding detail to the programme and confirming the presence of speakers that will ensure the meetings' success.

The Law Society and the Bar Council have teamed with the ABA on the planning committee for the meeting to ensure the programme's appeal for UK-based practitioners as well.Their participation has opened opportunities for US lawyers to visit the areas of the Inns of Court not ordinarily accessible to the public, and the Law Society has helped in planning programmes and made facilities available for an open house and for the conference 'fringe'.A key session will explore the 'Common law/common values/common rights: common law principles for the 21st Century'.

Other sessions will focus on wide-ranging issues such as: the future of the jury system in both the UK and the US; prospects for women, minorities and young lawyers in the new century; priority issues involving human rights; contrasts between justice and the appearance of justice and how they affect public confidence in the legal system; the intersection of law and diplomacy in international challenges; practising law in a global environment; and the role of law in protecting the natural environment.The conference will hear differing perspectives on the International Criminal Court from Europeans and delegates from the US, and learn of rapidly changing developments in the area of multi-disciplinary practice.While the meeting is expected to draw lawyers from every practice area, every state bar, every level of court and every substantive field, it will also be attended by five US Supreme Court members, the US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, UK Foreign Secretary Robin Cook and former US senator George Mitchell, the mediator of the Northern Ireland peace talks.Central to the London sessions is the recognition of the legal roots shared by the US with the UK.

In setting that theme, the sessions will open with the rededication of the Memorial to Magna Carta at Runnymede.In a blend of substance seasoned with celebration, the London sessions will set the mark for the future of law in the UK and the US in years to come.