International Law Helps Boost A Los Angeles Attorney's Earning Potential

Ambitious students graduating from law school between 2014 and 2022 can expect to meet top-heavy competition on the job market, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Demand for lawyers will continue to be affected by cyclical swings in the economy and a glaring fact that the number of students entering the legal industry each year outweighs the sum of available positions.

What serves to boost a student's career credentials is international law, a branch of productive enterprise that helps accomplished lawyers secure six-figure annual salaries.

"Lawyers who understand how to facilitate collaboration across borders of all kinds will have a distinctive contribution to offer," said Atty. Patrick Del Duca, a managing partner at Zuber Lawler & Del Duca. "A lawyer without a solid grounding in the disciplines of comparative law, public international law and private international law is increasingly likely to struggle to meet the needs of clients."

Del Duca said international law is an efficacious study to pursue, especially in greater Los Angeles.

"We have excellent law schools, responsive to cultural and linguistic diversity," said Del Duca, a Harvard Law School alumnus and adjunct professor at UCLA School of Law, who earned his Ph.D. from European University Institute in Florence, Italy. "We are a global city that immerses our law students and lawyers in connections with the rest of the world."

How does one prepare for a lucrative career in international law?

"Becoming truly fluent in at least a second language and culture is an asset for a career in international law."

What is your advice to those interested in entering this rival vocation?

"I encourage graduates to speak with lawyers who are already active in practice to understand the international aspects of their work. Do not hesitate to explore the possibilities of living, studying and working in more than one country."

What is your message to practicing attorneys considering international law?

"Build on the areas of practice that you know and consider joining one of the several outstanding bar organizations that seek to develop the skills and networks of their members who share an interest in international law."

Sharon Raiford Bush is an award-winning journalist who covers topics of social interest in greater Los Angeles. Some news articles she has authored have been archived by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Sharon also contributes to Examiner.com.