Find the Best International Law Jobs in 2021

To better understand what international law jobs entail, we first need to expand on the subject of international law a bit.

Simply put, international law is a set of rules, standards, and agreements between nations. The term is usually used to refer to public international law, which is not to be confused with private international law. That said, both areas are handled by legal practitioners, commonly known as international lawyers.

Private international law, sometimes referred to as conflict of laws, deals with disputes concerning private transactions between parties from different countries. Its role is to govern the choice of domestic laws to be used in each particular case. In comparison, public international law regulates relationships between nations, i.e. countries and other partakers in international relations. It involves laws that do not pertain to a single jurisdiction.

Supranational law is yet another form of international law. Unlike public international law, which involves direct negotiation between countries, this law entails submitting to the decisions of a tribunal above the countries’ authority.

When lawyers take on international attorney jobs and roles, they usually handle international merges and disputes or negotiate contracts. Since these transactions are made between parties not belonging to the same country, a good international lawyer must have ample knowledge of both domestic and international laws.

As one might have guessed by now, getting the best international law jobs can prove very difficult. The field is a very competitive one, and, as many university professors would say, international law is not just a profession - it’s a vocation. Acquiring as much information as possible is essential - the more varied the knowledge on laws, the better the chances of getting a job.

What Do International Law Jobs in the USA Imply?

As mentioned above, an international law attorney handles cases involving multiple legal systems. This makes the scope of the job extremely broad. Therefore, most lawyers choose to specialize in a specific field within international law. For instance, a lawyer may decide to focus solely on conflict of laws. This narrows down the international lawyer job description to conventions, laws, and other legal instruments for regulating and resolving issues that result from the differences between various legal systems.

In a nutshell,  to provide the best possible service to the clients, a legal counsel focusing on international laws needs to have a thorough understanding of how a number of policies, regulations, and laws of different nations interact, aiming to harmonize any conflicting parts.

Types of International Lawyer Jobs

The scope of legal careers on an international scale is extensive. Lawyers specialized in this field are hired to provide counsel to individuals, large corporations, non-profit organizations, and even government entities regarding criminal law, trade law, human rights law, environmental law, patent law - the list of international legal careers goes on.

Inventors and innovators often seek the protection of patent law. However, a patent granted by a domestic patent office is protected only within the country’s borders. While worldwide patent protection does not exist, lawyers who take on international patent law jobs help make patent filing and granting for several countries easier. Among other things, they should be well-informed on regional patent applications, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) activities, the Patent Cooperation Treaty, and The Paris Convention.

International criminal law jobs are a career path attorneys at law pursue to defend or prosecute individuals in cases of crimes with an international aspect, such as war crimes, genocide, aggression, and other crimes against humanity.

International trade law jobs deal with trade rules and customs between sovereign countries. Lawyers in this specialty area mainly provide counsel regarding compliance with international trade rules to foreign companies or those conducting business abroad. When violations of these rules occur, people with this job title also represent their clients in enforcement actions.

Lawyers who perform international human rights law jobs have the responsibility of defending people’s fundamental rights. They protect the rights of migrant workers, refugees, and individuals who belong to racial and ethnic minorities. International human rights lawyers not only help victims of human rights violations but also dedicate themselves to the promotion of international human rights standards.

International environmental law jobs involve roles created to ensure that the set of agreements and principles resulting from the world's collective effort to protect the environment are implemented and followed. Lawyers with this type of job usually work for advocacy groups or government agencies. They participate in the arbitration tribunals and are vital in litigating and resolving environmental disputes between sovereign states, making sure that international environmental agreements are carried out and respected.

Similarly to those practicing international trade law, lawyers who hold international business law jobs protect clients’ business interests. They advise their clients on matters related to legal issues and disputes with business entities operating in another country. International business lawyers must be familiar with various domestic and foreign policies and laws, such as labor laws, tariffs, taxes, licensing procedures, etc. They should be very well versed in economics, as well.

Work Environment and Schedule

Lawyers spend most of their working hours inside their firms’ offices. Still, those who hold international law jobs abroad are often required to regularly travel to numerous places across countries, especially when they need to appear in court to represent clients.

Like many other jobs nowadays, international law jobs are known for the heavy workload they come with. The role of an international lawyer can be particularly stressful during trials when meeting deadlines and gathering relevant data is of the essence.

Those interested in starting their international law career surely wonder about the number of hours lawyers put in every week. On average, they have a 40-hour workweek. However, those who work full time in private law firms usually spend additional hours researching, reviewing, and preparing legal documents to meet their clients’ demands.

How to Become an International Lawyer

The road to international law careers can be quite long and bumpy. After completing high school education, an aspiring international lawyer would need to go through another seven years of studies. Most US jurisdictions and states require lawyers to get a Juris Doctor degree at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.

Education

Before prospective law students can consider holding an international law degree, they must first complete their bachelor studies to get into law school. Although no specific fields of study are required for admission, courses in economics, mathematics, history, foreign languages, and public speaking have proven useful when preparing for law school.

Besides completing a bachelor’s degree, students of the law must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) to get into an ABA-approved law school.

International jobs for law graduates also come more easily if the students earn a Master of Laws degree in international law. This allows them to gain in-depth knowledge of specific sectors such as international business, international human rights, or any of the aforementioned fields of law.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Careers in international law require a lawyer to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) and a licensing exam, often referred to as the bar exam. After this, the lawyer is then admitted to a state bar association. Most states require lawyers to stay current with their legal education by completing mandatory CLE (continuing legal education) courses on an ongoing basis.

Advancement

Many schools and bar associations offer various forms of continuing education to provide law students and licensed lawyers with an opportunity to further their international law careers. The purpose of these programs is to keep lawyers up to date with the latest law-related developments. In some cases, the programs are given in the form of online courses.

Job Outlook

According to the BLS, the expected employment growth rate for lawyers between now and 2029 is 4% - similar to that of other jobs in the US. The persistent demand to fill in positions for various international law jobs is expected to continue. As interstate and intercultural relations expand worldwide, numerous businesses, organizations, and government bodies will gradually require more and more legal assistance on an international level.

The expected demand for legal counsel isn’t limited to lawyers. Legal assistants and paralegals can perform certain international legal jobs as well. The role usually involves researching and reviewing legal documents. In most cases, a law firm will hire a legal assistant or a paralegal to take a part of the workload off its lawyers’ backs. By delegating tasks such as collecting and updating information or preparing documentation for trials to professional assistants, the firm can become more productive.

There’s no denying that law firms are the biggest employers and producers of international law jobs for American lawyers. However, numerous businesses and corporations are also increasing the number of their in-house lawyers, thus reducing the costs of legal work.

The US is likely to see an increase in international law career opportunities for large businesses, conglomerates, and non-profit organizations in the near future. The Federal Government will also need skilled lawyers to represent the United States’ interests abroad, which will further ensure a steady demand for international law jobs.

Job Prospects

Stiff competition between law graduates is expected in the years ahead. This, of course, stems from the fact that the number of law students graduating every year surpasses that of available law-related jobs. Even with the expected growth in the number of positions open to practicing lawyers, jobs for international law students will probably still be harder to obtain due to the ever-growing volume of applications. As a result, graduates who can’t find a permanent and suitable role will likely turn to temporary staffing firms.

Career Alternatives

Those seeking a job in international law do not have to stick to a single aspect of it. For instance, a graduate can consider combining careers in international law and diplomacy. These two roles have always been interdependent and complementary, as diplomacy implies international relations. Diplomats are usually employed by a governmental or intergovernmental institution to manage relations with representatives of various countries or international organizations. They serve as mediators and arbitrators for conflict resolution as well.

Another among many international law career options is in the field of political science. Typically, political scientists also need to dig into international relations to understand their own areas of study better and broaden their career choices. They review historical documents, study government actions and decisions, gather data, make reports, and provide predictions for companies, organizations, and governments.

A teaching post is also a possibility for those searching for international law degree jobs. As most law professors at universities and law schools are licensed lawyers themselves, many students become interested in this career option. Choosing an academic role usually means higher job security, albeit reduced mobility. Changes in the position and responsibilities are often minimal or non-existent.