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Advice / persuasion / influenceAdvice / persuasion / influence
International Lawyer
International lawyers help clients with legal issues that cross borders. They might work on trade deals between countries, help refugees and asylum seekers, protect human rights, or sort out environmental law. They need to understand different countries' legal systems.
Degree usually required
AI impact: medium££££ payUni route
42
AI impact
how much AI is reshaping it
Robin · your guide
Curious about being a international lawyer? Here's the honest picture - what you'd really do, what you'd earn, and every way in. No need to decide anything yet.
What you'd actually do
As an international lawyer, you work on legal problems that involve more than one country. You might write contracts for big business deals, represent clients in court cases, or advise companies on the laws they need to follow. You'll read lots of laws, treaties and past cases to know what the right answer is.
You need to understand how different countries' legal systems work and be respectful of different cultures and ways of doing things. Some days you're researching and writing; other days you're negotiating or in court. It's challenging work that means learning constantly, but it lets you help solve real problems for people and businesses.
1Conduct extensive legal research on international laws and treaties.
2Draft and negotiate contracts, agreements, and legal documents with multinational clients.
3Advise clients on compliance with international regulations and local laws.
4Represent clients in international arbitration and litigation proceedings.
5Collaborate with legal teams in different jurisdictions to develop cohesive strategies.
6Stay updated on changes in international law and emerging legal trends.
7Build and maintain relationships with clients, stakeholders, and regulatory bodies.
8Prepare detailed reports and presentations for clients and legal stakeholders.
Career progression & pay
01
Getting in
Junior International Lawyer
£30,000 - £40,000
LLB or equivalent legal degree
In this entry-level role, you will assist senior lawyers with legal research, drafting documents, and preparing case files. You will gain exposure to various aspects of international law and develop foundational skills necessary for your career.
02
Building up
Mid-level International Lawyer
£50,000 - £70,000
3-5 years experience + relevant postgraduate qualification (e.g., LLM)
At this stage, you will manage your own caseload, providing legal advice to clients and representing them in negotiations and disputes. You will be expected to have a solid understanding of international legal principles and the ability to work independently.
03
At the top
Senior International Lawyer/Partner
£90,000+
10+ years, chartered status with the SRA, and a strong track record in international law
In this peak career role, you will lead complex international cases, mentor junior lawyers, and contribute to the strategic direction of your firm. You will be recognised as an expert in your field and may also engage in thought leadership through publications and speaking engagements.
Degrees that lead here via Law
Accelerated Graduate Programme
University of Stirling
Anthropology and Law
The London School of Economics and Political Science
Applied Criminology with Forensic Investigation
Stratford College London Limited
Applied Criminology with Forensic Investigation with Foundation Year
Stratford College London Limited
Bachelor of Laws
Glasgow Caledonian University
Bachelor of Laws (UCL) and LLB Bachelor of Laws (University of Hong Kong)
University College London
Apprenticeships that lead here
Who hires - top UK employers
Linklaters
A leading global law firm known for its expertise in international law and strong commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Allen & Overy
Renowned for its innovative approach to international legal challenges, offering a dynamic work environment for aspiring lawyers.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
A prestigious firm with a strong international presence, providing excellent training and development opportunities.
Clifford Chance
Recognised for its commitment to professional development and a collaborative work culture, ideal for international lawyers.
Herbert Smith Freehills
A global leader in dispute resolution and international arbitration, offering exciting career prospects for lawyers.
AI & the future of this job
International law sits in the middle ground of AI disruption: research and first-draft work is already being transformed by LLMs, but the core of the role demands something AI cannot replicate. Cross-jurisdictional strategy, courtroom presence, client trust in high-stakes disputes, and the political reading of international relationships all require deeply human judgement. The entry pipeline will tighten as junior research and drafting tasks compress, but senior advocacy and advisory work remains robustly human. This is a career where the degree still earns its cost, provided you enter it with clear eyes about how the workflow is changing.
Within 5 Years
Workflow compression, stable demand
AI will handle the bulk of treaty research, jurisdiction mapping, and first-draft contract clauses within five years, and law firms are already deploying these tools at scale. Junior roles will not disappear but will require fewer hours of traditional research work, meaning firms may hire slightly fewer trainees for the same output. The demand for lawyers who can interpret, challenge, and apply AI-generated analysis will grow quickly. Students entering the profession now should expect to become fluent in legal AI tools as a baseline expectation, not an optional extra.
Within 10 Years
Leaner teams, specialist premium
By the mid-2030s, the international law workforce will likely be smaller at the junior end but not hollowed out at the top. Arbitration, litigation strategy, and high-stakes compliance advisory are inherently relational and adversarial disciplines that require human advocates. The lawyers who thrive will be those who use AI to punch above their weight, taking on more complex work earlier in their careers rather than years of repetitive drafting. Specialisms in areas such as AI regulation itself, climate litigation, and sanctions law are likely to carry a significant salary premium.
Within 20 Years
Restructured, resilient profession
International law in twenty years will look structurally different but will not have been replaced. New legal frameworks around AI liability, digital sovereignty, and climate accountability will generate entirely new practice areas that do not yet exist at scale. The profession will be smaller in headcount relative to economic output, but those within it will carry greater individual responsibility and corresponding compensation. Students choosing this path today are betting on a long-term restructuring, not an elimination, and that is a reasonable bet provided they stay adaptable.
How to stay ahead
Become an AI-literate lawyer from year one
Learn to use legal AI platforms such as Harvey, Lexis+ AI, and Thomson Reuters CoCounsel during your degree, not after it. Understanding where these tools fail, hallucinate, or miss jurisdictional nuance is itself a billable skill that clients will pay for. Lawyers who can audit AI output critically will be trusted with more complex work faster.
Specialise in a future-facing area of international law
Climate litigation, AI governance, digital trade law, and sanctions compliance are all areas where demand is growing faster than qualified expertise. Choosing a specialism with genuine regulatory tailwind protects you from the parts of the market where AI substitution is heaviest, such as generic contract review and standard compliance work. A focused LLM or dissertation in one of these areas signals serious intent to firms and clients.
Build genuine multilingual and cross-cultural capability
AI translation is competent but still poor at the cultural and political subtext that determines whether a negotiation succeeds. A lawyer who speaks Mandarin, Arabic, or Portuguese and understands the legal culture of those jurisdictions is offering something a model genuinely cannot replicate today. Language skills combined with in-country study or work experience represent one of the strongest competitive moats available to early-career international lawyers.
Pursue arbitration and advocacy experience early
Moot court competitions, pro bono international arbitration clinics, and internships at international tribunals or NGOs build the advocacy skills that AI cannot perform. These experiences also generate the professional network that international law runs on, because cross-border mandates are almost always referred through trusted relationships. Getting into rooms where real disputes happen, even in a junior capacity, is worth more than an extra year of purely academic work.
How to get in - your routes
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