What is an International Lawyer, and how to become one

A career in International Law is attracting- some people already picture themselves jetting around the globe from client meetings to international conferences- but it is more complicated than that. So, what is an International Lawyer, and how do I become one?

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1. First, what is International Law?

Let’s start with the basics: International law is the set of rules, agreements and treaties that are binding between countries. That’s for the definition.

As a practical matter, International Law covers three areas:

(1) Private International Law, or Conflict of Law

With this first area, we address conflicts between private entities, whether individuals or corporations. Let’s say you have a corporation in the United States that sues another Corporation based in France: then, which jurisdiction should hear the dispute? Which law should be applied? This is basically what is Private International Law about.

(2) Public International Law

The second area regulates the relationship between nations and international entities. This involves treaty law, law of the sea, international criminal law, international human right law and international trade law.

(3) Supranational Law

Supranational law is a form of international law based on the limitation of the rights of sovereign nations between one another. It includes regional agreements where a nation’s law may be held inapplicable when conflicting with a supranational body of rules. For example, European Union law for Member States of EU: it has its own set of laws which are directly implemented by Member States.

2. Who practice International Law?

Now that we’ve got the basics, let’s focus on lawyers. Most attorneys specialize in one area, such as contract, corporate, customs, immigration, tax or human rights to name a few. They usually advise their clients on the domestic laws of their home country.

These lawyers may be involved in negotiating contracts, resolving international dispute, handling mergers, etc. It requires knowledge of different legal systems and understanding of the source of international law. For example, an International tax lawyer must figure out the tax implications associated with cross-border transactions and assists clients with reducing their worldwide effective tax rates.

In reality, being an International Lawyer means understanding how a myriad of laws and regulations interact together, it is knowing how to use these rules and precedent to better assist their clients.

3. International clients and their expectations

Often, clients are based in one country, while their companies/entities is registered in another. Then, they look for someone who knows how to deal with legal, and non-legal issues related to the country in question, the language, and other protocols. Basic knowledge of these countries and their legal systems is therefore a must have.

Firstly, clients want you to know the language. Even if English is the international language, your client may not understand it, or in many countries speaking the local language is seen as a sign of politeness and rapprochement.

Secondly, clients want you to know more than the legal system. Clients want their lawyers to be more like business partners. It is about providing advice and support on specific matters and outside technical legal issues, such as management and operational issues, (like technology investments)

Finally, clients expect you to know the basic rules of protocol. Whether it is solving a dispute or negotiating a contract, there are some rules to follow depending on the other side. For instance, an American salesman who presented a potential Saudi Arabian client with a multimillion-dollar proposal in a pigskin binder, considered vile in many Muslim cultures, ended up blacklisted from working with Saudi businesses. [More on this here]

4. So how do I become International Lawyer?

An International career is challenging but stimulating. In addition to your formal training, you will need skills in critical thinking, a comparative approach, analytical reasoning, research and writing. Here’s the steps to follow if you want to do a career in international law.

Step 1: Complete an Undergraduate Degree Program in the field

Whether it turns out to be a Bachelor of Law and a Master of Law if you are European or a college degree if you are American, almost all law schools require an undergraduate degree for admission. If there is no specific field of study, it would make sense to possess a degree in economics, government, history or, of course, international studies.

Step 2: Attend Law School

In your home country and in another jurisdiction. Focus on international law: it includes courses in comparative law, comparative legal cultures, international sales and trade, foreign policy, and multinational business law.

Besides this, find a specialization: for example, international business law, arbitration of international disputes, international human’s rights, etc.

While in Law School, don’t forget to get experience through internships and other activities.

Step 3: Take the Bar Exam

This is the classic step to becoming a lawyer. Consider which jurisdiction is the be best for you. Whether it’s a UBE jurisdiction in the United States, or a specific country like France, which has the ICC in Paris. Ultimately, having a double qualification will make you more competitive.

Check our new UBE Bar Prep Outlines! Your Best Tools to Succeed on the Bar Exam.

Step 4: Consider a LL.M

An LL.M is a specialized international Master Degree and often allows you to sit the Bar Exam in the country of study. The curriculum of these programs provides in-depth instruction about the chosen subset of international law. So be careful when choosing your program.

Conclusion

To conclude, there is no definition of an International Lawyer per se, and if there were one, that would be someone who works with clients, transactions and disputes that relate to more than one jurisdiction.

At a time of globalization, the need for lawyers with international expertise is ever-growing. On the other hand, with so many lawyers around the world, a career in international law is a way to differentiate yourself from the crowd.

So how to reach that goal? It all starts with your passion: be involved and take part in the global conversation. Then have a dual qualification, a double degree, a double state of mind. Finally, your language skills are critical. Even if English is your mother tongue, learning another language can bolster your career opportunities.

At the end, It means going beyond your current limitations and becoming a better lawyer, focused on the globalized nature of business and life in general. But make no mistake: this is rewarding.