Careers in International Law Advice from an International Lawyer
by Elena Ryzhkova 48
Ms. Elena Ryzhkova is an associate at Wilson International Law, Washington D.C, where her practice focuses on corporate finance and general corporate law (both U.S. and cross- border transactions). Ms. Ryzhkova’s recent projects include representation of Overseas Private Investment Corporation in a secured lending transaction, representation of a lead- ing private equity fund in Korea, representation of investing and acquiring entities in domestic and cross-border transactions, and the forma- tion and evaluation of the capital structure of several domestic companies. In this article, Ms. Ryzhkova speaks to law students about getting a job and starting a career as an international lawyer.
edly agree that being very proactive, flexible and open helps one find a job, as much if not more than being very educated and knowledgeable. Most importantly, a proactive approach will help you find a job that will teach you the most and expose you to the best people and resources, give you a good foundation, and position you well for your career in the long-term. That, many successful practitioners believe, is the most im- portant role of the first job.
I
In this article, I offer a few practical tips on how to get a job as an international lawyer. Of course, some of the advice below applies to any job search, but for those pursuing a career in international law, my advice speaks to you directly.
will start with a quote: “He or she who gets hired is not necessarily the one who can do that job best; but, the one who knows the most about how to get hired.” I wholeheart-
Law School Courses
While a law student, I do not necessarily recom- mend that you take as many international law courses as you can at the expense of other sta- ple courses, or at the expense of the ones you will need for your bar exam or a similar exam. Most of my colleagues agree. I do recommend taking two or three international law courses in order to get a general idea of the main treaties, texts and cases; how judgments are enforced overseas; the court systems in other countries; the main features of the civil law system (or common law system, if you are from a civil law country); and what it all means for the purposes of drafting a contract involving that country, for example. No one expects you to know all the intricacies of all aspects of international law on your first day on the job. Thus, taking several courses will provide you with a general under- standing of how things get done cross-border, yet will allow you enough time to spend on oth- er helpful courses; for example, contracts, legal writing, negotiation skills, etc.
Being Admitted to the New York State Bar/ Knowing New York Law
One of the questions that current students ask me quite often is whether they should take a New York Bar Exam. If you are intending to prac- tice transactional/commercial international law, many practitioners that I have interviewed be- lieve that it is a good idea to have a general un- derstanding of the New York law, including con- tract law, and, if possible, to get admitted to the New York Bar. The reason for this is twofold.
First, New York State has a law that allows cer- tain contracts involving significant amounts—
ILSA Quarterly » volume 20 » issue 1 » October 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64