Pre-Law School Research on Firms in Middle East? Forum

[goosey]

I want to settle and work in the middle east after law school (a place like doha, qatar is preferred over riyadh, saudi arabia)

A while back I emailed a few firms with offices in Dubai asking what a prospective law student needs to be doing in order to get on the path to working there immediately after graduation and was told to go to a top 50 school, maintain a 3.3 and contact them the beginning of 2L.

That little bit of information was quite helpful in giving me a rough outline, however I am wondering if there is anything else anybody can recommend? Are there certain firms I should specifically target and speak to between now and 2L? I am really not familiar with the big firms, but from the research I have done many of the "big firms" with offices in that part of the world are based in London. Is this accurate?

Is anyone familiar with working in the Middle East and what I should be focusing on studying in law school?

[gglr24]

Being fluent in the native language(s) would help

[nealric]

Is anyone familiar with working in the Middle East and what I should be focusing on studying in law school?

Not familiar with the Middle East specifically, but the firms you were talking to (I'm assuming U.S. firms with Middle East offices) would hire you before you took any specialized courses at all. Also, their GPA/school range was probably pretty optimistic. A T14 and top 1/3 would make getting such a job much, much more likely than a T50 and a 3.3. It would also be very helpful to be able to articulate a very good reason why you want to work in that location.

[goosey]

Is anyone familiar with working in the Middle East and what I should be focusing on studying in law school?

Not familiar with the Middle East specifically, but the firms you were talking to (I'm assuming U.S. firms with Middle East offices) would hire you before you took any specialized courses at all. Also, their GPA/school range was probably pretty optimistic. A T14 and top 1/3 would make getting such a job much, much more likely than a T50 and a 3.3. It would also be very helpful to be able to articulate a very good reason why you want to work in that location.

is there a reason you think thats optimistic? I am asking because I was under the impression that there arent many people, specifically from the t14, top third of the class, that I can imagine would want to give up a job here and go work in the Middle East. Relocating is not very desirable unless there is a specific reason for doing so, which I cant imagine is all that common.

[nealric]

is there a reason you think thats optimistic? I am asking because I was under the impression that there arent many people, specifically from the t14, top third of the class, that I can imagine would want to give up a job here and go work in the Middle East. Relocating is not very desirable unless there is a specific reason for doing so, which I cant imagine is all that common.

Because there are plenty of unemployed people at the top 1/3 of the T14 with the economy as it is, and a good number of people with middle east connections. Also, there are very few spots for new associates at U.S. firms abroad. We are talking just a handful a year.

[goosey]

is there a reason you think thats optimistic? I am asking because I was under the impression that there arent many people, specifically from the t14, top third of the class, that I can imagine would want to give up a job here and go work in the Middle East. Relocating is not very desirable unless there is a specific reason for doing so, which I cant imagine is all that common.

Because there are plenty of unemployed people at the top 1/3 of the T14 with the economy as it is, and a good number of people with middle east connections. Also, there are very few spots for new associates at U.S. firms abroad. We are talking just a handful a year.

I see.

I guess this is the reason I want to speak to more firms, so I can see what the norm is.

any recommendations as to where to get a list of firms?

[nealric]

This has a listing:
http://www.hg.org/lawfirms/United-Arab- ... Dubai.html

Many of those firms are not US firms, cross reference that with the Vault 100 law firms.
http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/com ... Controller

[goosey]

This has a listing:
http://www.hg.org/lawfirms/United-Arab- ... Dubai.html

Many of those firms are not US firms, cross reference that with the Vault 100 law firms.
http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/com ... Controller

great, thanks a lot!!!

[Anonymous User]

I just wanted to post here with my story. I worked for three years in Jeddah and Yanbu, KSA (enviro compliance and due diligence stuff for financial mergers). It was a blast. I lived on a compound with other expatriates, which is like a huge international summer camp...constant barbeques and beach parties, relaxed pace of life, great climate, fantastic food, real familial atmosphere, amenities like personal shoppers, gyms, pools. I am married now and think it would be a fantastic place to raise a family, because the kids go to trilingual international schools. I went to an international school in the Hague when I was a kid, and the experience was great. My husband is a chemical engineer, so he will be able to find work in the petroleum industry through some of my connections.

The company I worked for in KSA used King and Spalding, and I worked very closely with them. Now I am a 2L and planning an internship there over the summer, at the office in Riyadh. Don't dis on Saudi, I love it!

[goosey]

I just wanted to post here with my story. I worked for three years in Jeddah and Yanbu, KSA (enviro compliance and due diligence stuff for financial mergers). It was a blast. I lived on a compound with other expatriates, which is like a huge international summer camp...constant barbeques and beach parties, relaxed pace of life, great climate, fantastic food, real familial atmosphere, amenities like personal shoppers, gyms, pools. I am married now and think it would be a fantastic place to raise a family, because the kids go to trilingual international schools. I went to an international school in the Hague when I was a kid, and the experience was great. My husband is a chemical engineer, so he will be able to find work in the petroleum industry through some of my connections.

The company I worked for in KSA used King and Spalding, and I worked very closely with them. Now I am a 2L and planning an internship there over the summer, at the office in Riyadh. Don't dis on Saudi, I love it!

Wow thanks for sharing yeah I personally love saudi, I just am not sure about being there long-term because if I have daughters some day, I am not sure that would be the best place for them academically. The recently opened their first co-ed university, and while I would love to send my (future) daughters to a quality all-girls university more than a co-ed, there simply doesn't seem to be the types of educational opportunities available to females there (atleast last I know of). One of my cousins lived there and her parents had to send her to a foreign country after 10th grade because there was no more schooling available for her. This was well over a decade ago, though, so it could very well be different now. I mean if that one aspect could be resolved, saudi would be my absolute top choice.

How did you go about getting this internship? Are you at a top school? Any advice would be appreciated

[Anonymous User]

Well, you wouldn't have to worry about integrating your kids into the Saudi school system, because that option isn't really available anyway. The KSA schools are only for Saudi nationals. There are separate high schools for ex-patriots living on compounds, so your family members would have education through high school graduation. Pretty much all Saudis leave the country for university, because the Saudi university system blows.

It is true women can't drive, wear western clothes off the compounds, or go out unaccompanied, etc. But, I was able to do all of these things on the compounds. And, Jeddah is very modern and no one wears the veil any more.

I got the internship through connections, because the company I was working for contracts K&S. Like I said, the Saudis are like a family.

[goosey]

Well, you wouldn't have to worry about integrating your kids into the Saudi school system, because that option isn't really available anyway. The KSA schools are only for Saudi nationals. There are separate high schools for ex-patriots living on compounds, so your family members would have education through high school graduation. Pretty much all Saudis leave the country for university, because the Saudi university system blows.

It is true women can't drive, wear western clothes off the compounds, or go out unaccompanied, etc. But, I was able to do all of these things on the compounds. And, Jeddah is very modern and no one wears the veil any more.

I got the internship through connections, because the company I was working for contracts K&S. Like I said, the Saudis are like a family.

wearing the veil isn't a problem for me, because I already do. Thats actually one of the things that makes me want to work in the middle east--because I feel like the culture is better suited for me overall. I guess I will add saudi back onto my list then