Find the Best International Law Jobs in 2022
Interested in governing how nations interact with one another? Check out the listing of top international law jobs on LegalJobs!
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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.
General Duties
Jobs in international law require a lawyer to perform a series of duties. They may vary depending on the nature of each case, but some responsibilities across various fields of the profession coincide. Usually, any lawyer would need to perform the following:
- Provide legal counsel to clients, informing them of their rights and options.
- Recommend a course of action that is most likely to have a favorable outcome for the client.
- Communicate with clients, opposing counsels, colleagues, judges, and other entities involved in international law practice.
- Represent clients in court.
- Conduct research and analysis concerning clients' cases
- Interpret laws, policies, and regulations for individuals, organizations, and businesses.
- Prepare and file legal documents like deeds, contracts, and lawsuits.
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.
International Law Jobs Salary
Like most other high-profile lawyers, attorneys practicing international law have excellent earning potential.
According to the 2020 data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for lawyers was $126,930. That equals $61.03 per hour, which is well above the median personal income in the US. The highest recorded salaries exceeded $208,000. That said, international law careers’ salary may be lower in the government and non-profit sectors.
On the other side of the spectrum, the lowest-paid lawyers earned below $61,490. However, relatively low income is expected for all entry-level international law jobs.
Interestingly, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that lawyers who have their own practices earned less than those employed at large firms and big businesses.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
How to practice international law?
A:
To practice international law, one must go through seven years of education – four years in an undergraduate program and three years in law school. Before getting into a law school, an aspiring lawyer must first take the Law School Admission Test. After law school, a person needs to take the bar exam to obtain the license necessary for practicing international or any other kind of law.
Q:
What can you do with an international law degree?
A:
International law degrees lead to several career paths. A degree holder of international law can work for private law firms, governmental institutions, large corporations, international organizations, and non-profit groups. The fields of work can range from international trade and commerce, diplomacy, and human rights to environmental and criminal laws across nations.
Usually, lawyers in private law firms and large corporations handle matters of international business transactions and regulations. Public international law jobs in government departments, on the other hand, involve duties and responsibilities concerning a country’s affairs with other nations.
Q:
Is international law a good career?
A:
A career in international law can be very fulfilling, but it all comes down to a person's take on a great career. Jobs related to international law often include many incentives and benefits. For instance, many lawyers practicing international law get to travel a lot and discover numerous cultures. This career choice can also be highly lucrative, as most lawyers’ salaries are well above the average income.
Q:
How much does an international lawyer make?
A:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income for US lawyers was $126,930 in 2020. This is way more than the average salary of US workers. The Bureau also reported a whopping $208,000 for the top 10% of earners in the field of law. In contrast, the bottom 10% earned less than $61,490, which is still above the national median income.
Q:
Do international lawyers travel a lot?
A:
One of the most appealing aspects of working as an international law attorney is the opportunity to travel to many places and meet many nations since the very nature of international law jobs often requires lawyers to fly out to various destinations to meet with clients or represent them in court.