Careers in International Law

Expertise in any of the various International Law areas can be valuable in many types of law practice.  Career Services is an exceptional resource for students and alumni seeking employment in any area, and can help them identify prospective employers, as well as how best to leverage any International Law coursework, study abroad experience, or externship.  Many law firms regularly represent clients in international business transactions and international disputes, but employers who would value expertise in other areas of International Law can be more difficult to identify, so we have produced a detailed List of Employment Opportunities in Public International Law, International Human Rights, and International Criminal Law.   In addition, many IGOs and NGOs operate out of the Netherlands and are listed in the Guide to International Organizations in The Hague.

Over the years many Lewis & Clark alumni have found employment doing international work.  Below are some representative alumni profiles.

International Law Alumni Profiles

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Dustin Combs ’12

Combs committed to an International Law practice during law school and now heads the corporate secretarial division of Baker & McKenzie’s office in Yangon, Myanmar.

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Emily Christiansen ’12

“If you think you want to pursue a career in international law after law school then you should definitely consider the Global Law Certificate and make sure to take a wide variety of courses in international law and seek out an international law related externship.”

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Randy Haj ’12

“The entire faculty at Lewis & Clark was incredibly supportive, both during and after law school.”

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Natalia Yegorova Robalino ’06

“If you are interested in international law, Lewis & Clark coursework provides an excellent springboard into finding a career in the field. In my case, I found Public International Law particularly helpful as I started my career at the World Bank.”

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Chris Helmer ’74

“I think every lawyer needs to know something about cross-border issues in order to competently practice law. Lewis & Clark and the Global Law Program give them that opportunity.”

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Deborah Lee ‘05

Lee has been accepted as a Legal Fellow with International Justice Mission (IJM), a human rights agency based in Washington, D.C.  Her year-long fellowship will be in Kigali, Rwanda, where she will be working as a consultant to IJM’s Rwanda field office handling cases of child sexual assault and gender-based violence. 

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Alejandro Tosi ’01

“I became one of two legal advisors to the president of the Iran-United States tribunal. As legal advisor, one of my most important duties was to help draft the tribunal’s decisions. These are very important decisions, which indeed may have an impact on the relations between the two countries.”

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Randy Christensen ’94

“Getting to work on matters that I care about and being able to work on a wide variety of legal issues in many jurisdictions and legal forums is the most fulfilling part of my practice”