# Law student find work in Netherlands?



## Mt90128 (Jul 19, 2015)

Hello,

I am an American law student currently attending a top 25 law school (though not sure that matters at all in the European context). I am currently in Spain doing an internship with a large international law firm in the area of corporate law, though my area of expertise (including certification) in the U.S. is patent law and I have done a lot of work in IP generally. I recently visited Amsterdam during a long weekend and liked it so much that I am visiting again this coming weekend. In fact, I do not have ties to any location in the States because my family has moved so much, and honestly everything about Amsterdam culture and the city itself attracts me. 

Which brings me to my question: is there a market for English only American law students in Amsterdam? My education, I realize, is quite different from the European path of going to law school right after high school, and I am not sure if this would be adventageous or if my relatively limited knowledge of EU law would be detrimental. Since I graduate soon and am looking at the job market, I truly and honestly feel that work in Amsterdam is what I want to do, particularly in the field of corporate law (I would also be interested in Luxembourg for its proximity and emergence as a desirable area to incorporate), though I would settle for anything generally legal in nature.

Can anyone comment on whether it would even be possible for me to get a job commensurate with my specialized education (and student debt) in the Netherlands? If so, is there a way that I can contact an employment agency or the like when I go there next weekend? Or, is there otherwise some good way/contact I could use to look for a job? I realize this might be beyond the realm of possibility but I have decided it is something that I want to make work even if there is a slim chance - and there are certainly corporations that need legal counsel in the area, though I fear my lack of Dutch fluency might kill any chance I have.

Advice much appreciated!!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Generally speaking, fresh out of school is probably the absolute worst time to try for an international job. You'd be in much better shape for finding a job with an international company if you had a few years of US experience under your belt before hitting the employment agencies (i.e. headhunters) and international corporations. 

Doesn't mean you shouldn't try. You could get lucky. But realistically speaking, a few years of US experience could very much bolster your CV (as well as a foreign language or two - not necessarily Dutch, but some other language).
Cheers,
Bev


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## Dutchess (Jun 30, 2015)

Perhaps this internship would be interesting for you. You seem a perfect fit.

http://www.blenheim.nl/internship.html 
Eligibility Criteria for the Law Student Internship Program


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## Dutchess (Jun 30, 2015)

And the next time you go to Amsterdam, try to set up some appointments with recruiters. I am thinking of recruiters like Michael Page and Hays.

Here is some general information about practicing law in The Netherlands IBA - How to qualify as a lawyer in Netherlands
As you can read you can find a job where you give legal advice because it does not require you to be a member of the Dutch Bar.

There are also more than a few American law firms in Amsterdam. Here's a link to Allen & Overy (which btw sounds way too much like ovary) and you can google 'American law firm Amsterdam' and find the rest for yourself 
What we look for - Allen & Overy


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