Article: International law is a highly-competitive field. Attorneys who practice in this area often work for international organizations, such as the United Nations or the World Bank. Alternately, international lawyers can work for large firms on cross-border deals involving corporations in different countries. These kind of jobs are difficult to get. Even if you graduate law school and pass the bar, you very well might not be able to get one of these jobs.  Competition to get a job with an international non-governmental organization (NGO) will be fierce. There are very few international human rights jobs, period. In fact, breaking into this field is extremely challenging. Furthermore, most cross-border deals are done by large law firms, which are the most selective. You are expected to be near the top of your class and to have graduated from a selective law school in order to be hired at international law firms. Against your job prospects you also should weigh how you will finance your legal education. The cost of a legal education has exploded in the past decade. Students routinely pay over $30,000 a year in tuition alone, which does not include additional costs for living expenses. If you are not careful, you could graduate law school $200,000 in debt. CAS is used by all law schools. You send them your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and evaluation; they create a packet and send it to the law school. The service requires a fee. Register early and make sure to get your transcripts to CAS in a timely manner. Now is the time to draw on the relationships you have built up with faculty during your undergraduate career. Ask your professors if they can write you a strong letter of recommendation. Only follow through if that professor says “yes.”  If you didn't build strong relationships with faculty, don't despair. You can also ask for recommendations from present and past employers, as well as from people associated with church or volunteer organizations. Some recommenders may need to be prompted to complete the letter. Send a friendly email reminder, or stop in to chat. Law schools require that you write a short statement, typically on a topic of your choosing. The statement is usually only 500 words.  Follow the directions. If the school wants you to write on a specific topic, write on that topic. Also, if they give you a word limit, stick to the limit. Going over, by even a few words, can harm your chances of admission. Feel free to write about your interest in international law. You may want to write about your experience studying abroad. Whatever you write about, make sure that it is fresh, engaging, and memorable. You also should feel free to write about any subject that you want. You do not have to explain why you want to be a lawyer (unless the prompt specifies that you should write about that subject). An addendum can be a great way to explain something that looks bad in your application. A solid addendum will provide context for any information that might raise “red flags.”  Red flags include criminal convictions, punishment for cheating or plagiarism, or semesters with very low grades. An addendum might also clarify why one LSAT score is much higher than another. Remember to explain in your addendum, not make excuses.

What is a summary?
Decide if being an international law attorney is really for you. Register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Solicit letters of recommendation. Draft a personal statement. Think about writing an addendum.