Over the years, hundreds of Fletcher graduates have gone on to distinguished careers in international law. We asked a few to reflect upon their experience at Fletcher and what it’s meant to their careers. Here are their replies:
“I originally came to The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy to study diplomatic history. However, first semester classes with Professors Michael Glennon and Ian Johnstone quickly led me to adjust my primary focus to the study of international law. Discussions and lectures in the Fletcher classroom focus not only on legal doctrine, but also on the impact that the law has on international politics. After graduating from The Fletcher School, I continued my legal education at Harvard Law School. While I had a great experience there, nothing really compares to the dynamic discussion and the warm learning environment at Fletcher where you take classes with students from jurisdictions all over the world, in addition to studying with non-lawyers who have unique perspectives to add to the conversation. This type of experience is not available in a typical law school setting. Finally, The Fletcher School's legendary alumni network (known popularly as "the Fletcher Mafia") is particularly strong and ready to help graduates in the field of international law. There simply is not a better place to study in this field.”
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Brandon Edward Miller
Law Clerk to the Honorable Julian Abele Cook, Jr., Eastern District of
Michigan
"The international law curriculum at Fletcher is unparalleled. Despite being a joint JD/MALD candidate and having access to a multitude of law classes and good professors at Boalt Hall and Harvard Law, I still chose to focus in international law at Fletcher because I could not resist the perspective I gained from the international law faculty and my peers. Questioning the ends of the ideological spectrum of naturalism and positivism and delving into the vast middle ground along this continuum was a baseline in our Fletcher law classes. Ideologies and theory are pointed out and labeled as such, and professors avoid being doctrinaire in every class from human rights to national security law. The added dose of practitioner knowledge from peers coming from such diverse arenas as the American military and the Chinese foreign service roots everything in a need to get to what works on the ground, in practice. From working with the United Nations criminal courts to the private sector, such a complex but practical toolset of international legal knowledge has been invaluable."
- Elaina Loizou
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York
"Though a lawyer, working for the Attorney General of Sri Lanka, I had also qualified in Management Accountancy and had a degree in Math and Physics. A program premised on an interdisciplinary approach was destined to be a good match. Still better was being able to focus my studies in my core legal areas- International Business and Economic Law and Public International Law. The concentration of world renowned faculty in these areas of law was amazing. The fact that they were nevertheless accessible, coupled with abundant resources and a program that forces one to foray out of his or her comfort zone made it perfect. Yet, what I cherish the most are the intimate bonds forged with students, faculty and staff. The incredibly close-knit community at Fletcher is nurturing in as much as it is stimulating. My time at Fletcher has been the most enjoyable academic experience in my life. How could it be otherwise?"
- Nirmalan Wigneswaran
Office of the Attorney General, Sri Lanka
"The Fletcher School was central to my undertaking a public international law career. Its strengths lie in three areas: the ability to specialize in particular areas of international law, covering aspects of contemporary concern in the global community; its multidiscplinary approach which produces lawyers with a strong basis in economics, politics and diplomacy - practically a formula for employment at any international organization; and finally its name recognition - there are Fletcher alumni in practically every corner of the United Nations. Not only does this mean a deep career support network, it is also considered an imprimatur of quality. There are a number of schools that have any one of these three; very few outside of Fletcher have all three."
- Arnold Pronto
Office of the Legal Adviser, United Nations
"I had a fantastic experience with Fletcher's international law program. Fletcher's international law faculty are true leaders in their respective fields and while the program tackles the latest scholarship, it never forgets the practical side. The incredible mix of students fully complements this and exposes one to different viewpoints and an amazing depth of real-world experience. My Fletcher experience helped me obtain a position at a global law firm and has proven invaluable to my practice as an international and project finance associate dealing with global transactions, interacting daily with clients and lawyers from all over the world and working on complex public international law pro bono projects. My time at Fletcher truly rounded out my legal education and challenged me to best put it to use in today's globalized world."
- Andrew Giddings
Shearman & Sterling LLP, New York
"With my background in international relations and a hope to develop an expertise in international law, I chose Fletcher. After two years at Fletcher, having taken 15 law courses out of 16 courses required for MALD program, I doubt anywhere could be better for me to acquire such legal knowledge and skills. I benefited from its wide variety of law courses. I learned from knowledgeable, experienced and helpful professors, from my classmates as well as from the highly law-motivated discussion among Fletcher students over international issues."
- Yen Hai Trinh
Vietnam Foreign Ministry
"Fletcher offered me the perfect complement to a JD degree: several course offerings in international law and diverse courses in international relations in the largest sense. The "International Litigation" course taught by practicing lawyer and professor Keith Highet at Fletcher provided the foundation and inspiration for my career path. My Fletcher degree greatly aided my entry into legal work with the United Nations, at a time when the practice of international criminal law began to flourish."
- Gregory Townsend
Office of the Prosecutor, U.N. Int'l Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia
"Fletcher's international law courses provided me with the range and depth I needed to transform an American JD into an international tool. The flexibility of the program allowed me to develop several specialties, including international human rights law and transitional justice, while also giving me the chance to study different disciplines and geographical regions. In my current work for the International Justice Program of Human Rights Watch, I constantly refer to the courses I took at Fletcher."
- Adam Day
Human Rights Watch, New York
"The courses on international law I took at Fletcher have had a deep and abiding influence on my career. In addition to understanding legal precedents and case studies, they sensitized me to the importance of international law as a vital diplomatic instrument in negotiations and conflict resolution. Whether dealing with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program or centuries-old sectarian passions in Northern Ireland, my Fletcher training has served me very well."
- The Honorable Mitchell B. Reiss
Vice Provost for International Affairs, The College of William & Mary
Former Director of Policy Planning, U.S. Department of State
"At Fletcher, I found just what I was looking for: an interdisciplinary curriculum taught by world-class faculty that could weave the various strands of these subjects together in a comprehensive, engaging manner….. As a practicing international attorney, I dare not imagine how much poorer my understanding of this subject would be absent my studies at Fletcher….. In a collegial and engaging fashion, Fletcher's international law faculty incisively explore their subject. Their courses are invariably challenging and incisive, each one leaving a permanent imprint of new, relevant knowledge in a key area of the field."
- Michael Lieberman
Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Washington, DC