6 strategies for increasing your chances of getting employed by a foreign law firm

There are 6 strategies you can do to increase your chances of getting employed by an international law practice.

If you don’t know your way around the local legal system, it might be tough to find a company willing to represent you. Given these constraints, young attorneys planning to go overseas in search of legal employment will need to prioritize capacity development and wise decision making.

The following are only some of the measures that need to be taken:

• One of the most important things you can do to increase your chances of landing a job at a prestigious international company is to carefully consider the industries in which you are interested and which need transferrable abilities. Once you’ve settled on a path, it’s important to keep up with advances in the field, acquire a more in-depth set of relevant abilities, and plan your next steps appropriately.

• Second, get some practice with cross-border and international deals – Experience in cross-border transactions is essential while looking for legal positions overseas due to the existence of different legal systems, complicated bureaucratic regimes, cultural differences, political instability, and other hazards. Some of the attorneys who have been recruited by these companies have said that their prior experience working on cross-border transactions in Nigerian companies was essential in their subsequent employment with the companies.

• Third, develop your language abilities; with the globalization of both the economy and the legal profession, fluency in more than one language will serve you well. Since French and/or English are widely spoken in most African nations, this is a logical option given the impetus for the present trend.

• Fourth, Graduate Law School/Juris Doctorate – A Juris Doctorate (J.D.) is a three-year program designed to teach future lawyers, whereas a Master of Laws (LL.M.) offers more specialized education. Lawyers with postgraduate degrees tend to be the ones who make the most successful shift to multinational companies. Since some foreign hiring managers prefer attorneys with an LL.M., this might be useful information for those lawyers seeking high-level in-house positions.

• Use of Professional Tools, Such as LinkedIn – As more and more businesses across the world switch to standardized online forms, it is becoming more normal to find a LinkedIn area beside the resume upload tool, allowing you to attach your LinkedIn profile with your CV. Potential employers will check out your LinkedIn page in addition to your resume, so making a good impression there is crucial.
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Whether working in private practice or in-house, it is crucial for a lawyer to be able to successfully interact with both internal and external colleagues and clients. This may include elucidating complex legal matters in layman’s terms or consulting a panel of experts. Whether the team size is huge or small, lawyers will virtually always need to collaborate with others. This includes not just lawyers but also secretaries, administrative assistants, and paralegals. Having the ability to adapt to new circumstances quickly and effectively is a highly valued trait among both internal and external customers and employees, and may help you stand out as a leader in your field.

Conclusion

There are many unheard-of possibilities now that the globe is essentially one giant town. As a result, it is important for attorneys, particularly young lawyers just starting out, to consider the global legal market. With the appropriate value offer, the barriers we formerly believed to exist are dissolving or negotiable.