International Law: 5 Reasons Why Every Aspiring Lawyer Should Go For This Course

With our world becoming increasingly connected and globalized, a course in international law can help aspiring lawyers understand the legal world with a global perspective. Interdisciplinary nature of it serves the emerging significance of cross border business and human rights.

Most law aspirants when think of taking up a course that helps them understand state and country laws; however, taking the fast-paced globalization into consideration, studying international law can give the undergraduate a competitive edge.  

Most students when think of taking up law as a career have the idea that they will be bringing justice against crime, but students need to be reminded that it is just one aspect of the law. Law encompasses several other roles such as structuring human transactions, preventing conflicts and defining rights dealing with issues ranging from human rights to economics, health, personal finance, business, international relations, politics and more.  

Globalization has ended the barriers of law; legal issues can now be expanded to other countries and may involve international treaties alongside the regional ones. And, international law can essentially help the aspirants understand how the legal system works globally.  

Let’s take a closer look at the 5 reasons why every aspiring lawyer should go for international law: 

1. Learn the foundation of the legal system with a global perspective 

International law covers all the basic foundations of the legal system as a part of the curriculum by rendering insights on concepts, principles and a comparative vision. Knowledge of a foreign language such as the official languages of the UN helps immensely. 

These modules of learning include family law, employment law, human rights law, environmental law, commercial law, wills and succession, criminal litigation and evidence, intellectual property law, and business/company law, comparative law etc along with an introduction to legal reasoning, techniques, research skills, communication skills, public speaking skills etc.  

Besides, in this era of globalization and tighter budgets, specialized knowledge in the field of international law puts you in greater demand.  

2. Practical learning opportunities at home as well as abroad 

The students who take international law can undertake internship positions in their home state/ country as well as overseas. They also have a chance to participate in student exchange programs and study abroad for a certain period of the curriculum to better comprehend the subject and gain insight into how it is applied in different parts of the world.  

3. Lucrative multiple career opportunities 

International law students have multiple options to further their career. Alongside practising as a solicitor or legal advisor, they can find employment as company secretariats, accountants, bankers, business managers, legal advisors in the financial sector, human resource managers, tech law experts and compliance officers in a multinational corporate and private law setting. There are also exponential career opportunities in the field of media, journalism, public relations, public health, politics, education, civil services, NGOs, human rights etc.  

There are also several opportunities for the international law aspirants in the ‘International Court of Justice’, many tribunals and commissions which deal with policy-making, reparation and justice, global security, human rights and international criminal law.  

4. Superior entry level payroll 

As per a report, the law firms offer a good range of salary to newly graduated international lawyers, in the potential range of up to Rs 18 to 20 lakh per year as compared to 5 to 10 lakh per year for other sectors.  

The median salary with a few years of experience ranges from 25 to 30 lakh per year, and as the career progresses, the lawyers can even expect to make up to 150 to 200 lakh per year with a reputed international law firm.   

5. Advantageous even in non-legal work placements in international bodies and non-governmental /not-for-profit organizations 

Several renowned institutes like the UN (United Nations), WHO etc. continually look for talented individuals who wish to make an international wave and change the world for the better. And, having studied international law can put you in an advantageous situation while applying for apprenticeship or work placement in such institutes.  

International law can help broaden the horizons of your legal career path, opening up a plethora of opportunities with positions that require understanding the structure and key concepts of building cordial international relationships in today’s vastly inter-connected environment. The path usually evolves through internship, self-study and garnering resources from various sources for a strong foundation. 

Shashikala Gurpur

Guest Author The author is the Director, Symbiosis Law School, Pune & Dean, Faculty of Law, Symbiosis International (Deemed) University