Top Law Schools

Hey all,

I'm a 2L at a school ranked in the Top 25. I was intending to stay in the States over the summer, however my mother and step-father who live in Paris are in declining health and I'd like to be close to them in case anything happens or I'm needed. London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Rhine/Ruhr Area, or Geneva would be best as they are easy commutes by train.

Given how late in the year it is I'm not too picky about what type of work I do -- the important thing is being somewhere in Europe. Before law school I worked in project finance for the oil and gas sector in the middle east (I speak Arabic and French) and graduated with honors from a top 5 undergrad with a degree in Econ. I was planning to go into something related to project finance, transactional, or international taxation but at this point I'm open to anything because of the circumstances. Unpaid is fine, too.

Does anyone have any leads or advice as to where I should look at applying? I was going to browse through NGOs and IOs (which ones would be most fruitful?), export credit agencies/international trade, investment banks, and other firms that do international commercial work (maritime, mining, construction, etc), but don't want to waste time in futile areas. If someone could help direct my focus it would be most appreciated.

Thank you.

Sorry for your tough situation. Have you thought about being a research assistant for a professor or two from your school? If you could be a research assistant for someone who doesn't need to meet with you in person, that might be your best option.

If you have any international law teachers go see them and see if they have any connections abroad they can put you in touch with, pretty sure this is how all the people I know who did summers abroad got their stuff. also check with career services.

Interpol in Lyon, France. No French required. I know that at least several T6 students have worked there over 1L summer. Don't know about other schools. Apply and be persistent.

Also if you're lucky enough to be offered by Cleary, they let you do a foreign rotation.

You should contact the international programs office of your school and see if they know of anything. I know a couple of people who summered abroad through them. Professors are a good resource too, as some of them either have connections that can get you over there or need someone to do research over the summer that can be done from anywhere. Career services might also be able to help. The ABA Section of International Law maintains a list of internships available abroad as well, but IDK how often that is updated.

Good luck! I hope things work out well for you and your family.

If your school has any sort of study abroad program that they offer throughout the year, check with them as they will likely have a lot of connections. Also know some people who worked at the Hauge and clerked at various international courts (e.g. supreme court of Israel, international court of claims, etc.). Not sure if any of these are conducive to your situation though (just a lowly American with no concept of geography. Thanks, Obama). Good luck.

The UN does a large summer program in Geneva. Look into that.

Thank you all so much for your kind and thoughtful replies. Need to work on building relationships with my professors, great resource. Interpol was a great suggestion I hadn't considered before.

Clearly wrote:The UN does a large summer program in Geneva. Look into that.

Definitely look into the UN program. I had a classmate who landed a spot last summer—I can't really phrase this delicately, so I'll just say that she seemed aggressively dumb (bad student, perpetually late, awkward in person, asked boneheaded questions in class with zero self-awareness), yet she still managed to land this. If she could get it, I have to assume anyone can, but your prior international experience and language skills should go a long way, too. Best of luck!