Every so often, I receive a message from a student asking how to start out in international law. I remember being that student: eager, hopeful, and impatient to contribute. But building a career in this field rarely happens overnight and it certainly didn’t for me.
Learning the Hard Way
In the early years, I watched opportunities in international criminal law routinely flow to English men often through networks that simply weren’t open to me. It was frustrating to see briefs and consultancies passed along through social ties rather than transparent merit. So, I built my own path.
My first real opening came not through glamorous cases, but through collaborative writing: contributing to the ICC Moot Court Manual with a “story” about a female commander called “Charlotte Seamstress” whose personal military protection team had a particularly brutal punishment for men. I’m still amazed it made the book!!
From there, I began preparing amicus curiae briefs, unpaid (which is common in international law), but deeply educational such as why the non-punishment principle should apply to former child soldiers who are prosecuted and why JCE III is a fabricated and unjust law with no safe legal foundation except the bias of some judges.
Each small but difficult step opened new doors. Over time, those efforts grew into work in courts and with scholars across the world from The Hague to Africa and SE Asia and beyond (as “Bess” Lightyear might say). It took years of persistence, writing, and building credibility through the substance of my work, including my PhD .
Find Purpose, Not Just Prestige
International law can look like a world of conferences and titles, but the real work happens in the detail; in the commitments you make to fairness, justice, especially gender justice, and respect for humanity. Find the issues that matter most to you. Let that inform your study, drafting and your advocacy.
Learn the Language of Many Systems
To be effective globally, you need to move between legal systems with respect and cultural awareness – skills which I learned from Indigenous people in the Northern Territory of Australia. You must read widely, collaborate across cultures, and never assume your national framework is the centre of the world. For example – the Great British Justice System is not so great. I think Australia is doing better in some areas but it’s a long haul to inclusive law, especially on human trafficking.
Collaborate and Keep Going
No one builds a career in the field of international law alone. Seek mentors, but also mentor others; future practitioners need encouragement just as much as all of us once needed someone else’s. When you face setbacks (some unfair), pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again. My career is a lifetime of joining global conversations that matter and being noisy about what I know.
If you’re a student looking at The Hague or the DIFC or the UN or the Military or Government or NGO law today, wondering how to begin, start where you are: read, write, volunteer, connect and strategize your career. Mrs Google is your friend: out there is your dream job and you can start building your CV, recognising the skills you have and seeking the qualifications you need. The opportunities will come. They might come slowly, but when they do, you’ll be ready not just to be an international lawyer by label, but to contribute your knowledge and enthusiasm. Enjoy!!
