Hey guys,
So I’m currently halfway done with my Bachelor’s degree in the USA. I’m studying Political Science with a concentration in International Relations.
I really like what I’m studying, and I’ve been thinking about what kind of Masters degree to pursue. I think it would be a bad idea to continue to study International Relations, unless I plan on going into academia, which I don’t.
So I’ve been considering Law School. I have two citizenships (Brazilian and Italian), and about to receive my US Citizenship this year. I’ve lived/grown up in different countries and I speak a few languages. I’m only pointing this out because these things have made me into who I am today. I love reading. I love getting to know different cultures and I’m interested in international politics.
With this being said, I’ve been considering studying European or some kind of International Law at a law school in Europe. Please, I am not asking for opinions on whether I should stay here or go. This decision has been made in my heart for a while, and I am not changing my mind. I’d just like to know what my future prospects would be like if I decided to study international law or something related (like a more regional focus) in Europe. I have some sort of idea of what I’d like my career to look like, but right now my vision’s a little foggy and I need a little help to see things clearly. I want a successful career and I know that’s not necessarily guaranteed if I don’t decide to pursue some sort of law degree in Grad school.
Does anyone have any tips? General information on how law school abroad works and what the prospects are?
Thanks in advance!
So you would obviously study law in whatever country you planned to practice in right? Well what kind of work do you plan to do within law?
I wouldn’t want to be a lawyer per se, but I’d like to work in the private sector with multinational companies or practice law internationally, between two governments. This is somewhat broad but it is an option I’ve recently come to consider.
Getting a law degree if you don’t want to practice law doesn’t make a lot of sense, IMO.
I work in a regulated industry that is crawling with lawyers that don’t actually practice law. But, they all started out practicing law. You don’t get to skip ahead to the fun stuff. You must work your way up. If you want to work negotiating between governments, you need to pick a country and become a lawyer. Work as a lawyer and develop contacts and relationships within the government. Then manage to get a job within the government, either by being hired or appointed. It’s not an easy path. Obviously some people get there but it takes a combination of being very good at what you do, hard work, and an element of luck ( the contacts and friends you made in your 20s have moved into positions of power as they have matured).
I see, I guess I overlooked the obvious because I was so excited with the prospect of doing bigger things. But now it’s something to think about, and consider carefully. Thank you so much for your input! It was really helpful.
Although, a new scenario just popped into my head. Let’s say I go to law school, graduate, and decide that I don’t want to be a lawyer after all. Would my degree be completely worthless? I need to consider my options.
In general, I feel that no matter what I may choose to do, a law degree would be more useful than an international relations degree. Nowadays specialized degrees are more valuable and I don’t want to waste my time/money on something that may be too broad to get a decent job.
Another caveat to consider – if you receive a law degree in another country, you are not able to simply re-locate to the US and start practicing here. Lawyers with degrees from outside the US typically have to take a modified law degree in the US – an LLM – and then sit for the bar exam in the jurisdiction they intend to practice in. For most law-related jobs, including government regulatory work or working for multinational companies, lawyers are required to be admitted to the practice of law in a particular state. International companies with headquarters in the US typically have US lawyers representing them, who then coordinate with “in-country” lawyers specializing in the law of, say, Italy, if a company wanted to open a plant or do something else in that other country.
In the US, it certainly happens that someone would go to law school, practice for a few years, and then move into a field where they are no longer “practicing” law but the legal background, experience in problem solving, analytic thinking etc., all is useful. So no, the degree is not “worthless” in that sense,because the skills developed in law school and in the early years of being a lawyer are useful in other fields. However, going to law school without any interest in practicing law, is a very expensive proposition.
I see. I don’t plan on coming back to the US after school, unless things in the EU somehow don’t work out. Otherwise I’d go to a law school in the country I’d be interested practicing in (UK being the more expensive option but I’m also considering France).
But it is true that law school can be expensive… Although one of the bright sides to Europe is that depending on the school, tuition is significantly lower than in the US, which is why I’m considering this path, but I’m still not entirely sure.
The issue is that law is not “portable” since it depends on a specific country.
It’s less “usable” than International Relations.
At least with IR you can apply to Sciences Po, Bocconi, Amsterdam, any top European school, and network from there.
With law, you prepare to take the bar and practice law. You will have a concentration but yes the degree is pointless if you don’t pass the bar and practice law.
In addition, in Europe, it’s a post-high school program, meaning you MAY get some “equivalencies” and transfer some credits from your Bachelor’s degree but you’d essentially be a first year student with 6 years of studies ahead of you.
I worked in Europe (in law firms). Tuition is lower than in the US, but the starting pay for lawyers in European firms is way, way, way lower than in the US. One option for you might be to work in Brussels, either at the European Commission or something relating to that, or with a law firm that handles regulatory/trade work. That’s very international and is very feasible for European law graduates. Check out Van Bael & Bellis and see their career paths.