THE PRACTICE

   1. GOVERNMENT

US Government

The U.S. government is a great way to break into the field of international law, and it provides a tremendous opportunity to experience the global impact of U.S. foreign policy. During recent summers, tens of SLS students worked in international governmental internships. These positions included international development assistance, humanitarian aid, counterterrorism, national security, foreign policy, overseas law enforcement programs, environmental protection, analysis of bilateral and multilateral foreign trade agreements, and negotiation of new treaties.

Legal work with the U.S. government involves focusing on current public policy issues of the day and developing strategies for implementing programs, legislation, and executive orders that will impact the nation and its future direction. A major advantage of working with the government is the opportunity to advance relatively early in your career and gain primary responsibility for major litigation, and the development and management of important public policy issues that one rarely has exposure to in the private sector.

UN and other Intergovernmental Organizations
Lawyers perform a wide range of legal work in IGOs. They may serve as Corporate Counsels assisting in negotiating and drafting agreements with nations and other IGOs; draft acts, rules and regulations for legislative bodies and serve as their policy advisers; handle procedural and jurisdictional issues dealing with the right to fair and expeditious trials for international tribunals; provide legal expertise to an IGO's dispute resolution mechanism or executive body; prosecute or judge persons for war crimes and other violations of international human rights; serve as a Legal Officer performing legal research, providing written and oral legal advice to the principal and subsidiary organs of the IGO, and minimizing its legal liabilities.

   2. IN HOUSE
   3. LAW FIRM
   4. NON-PROFIT

Attorneys work in international and domestic NGOs in every conceivable capacity: as litigators, lobbyists, researchers, educators, administrators, fundraisers, grassroots organizers, etc. Given the huge number and diversity of international NGOs, it is extremely difficult to do justice in representing all of the opportunities for legal and legal-related work in this area. Luckily, the Internet has greatly simplified the task of obtaining detailed information about NGOs.