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Area of law

International Law

Law among nations and across borders.

Find schools with programsAll areas of law

What this area covers

International lawyers work with treaties, international institutions and the legal systems of more than one country. Public international law governs states; private international law governs cross-border dealings among people and companies.

Also called: Comparative Law, Global Law, International and Comparative Law, Public International Law, Transnational Law.

Typical legal work

  • Advising governments and international organizations
  • Handling cross-border disputes
  • Applying treaties and customary law

Common subareas

Human Rights LawHolding governments and others to international rights standards.International ArbitrationResolving cross-border disputes before private tribunals.International Business & Trade LawCross-border commerce, customs, sanctions and investment.

Where lawyers work

  • Federal, state and local government
  • International organizations
  • Law firms of every size
  • Nonprofit and advocacy organizations

A setting is where you work; an area is what the work is about. The same area is practised in very different settings.

Schools with verified programs

A school is listed here only when its own website names a concentration, certificate, clinic, center or field placement in International Law or one of its subareas. Schools are in alphabetical order. The list is not a ranking, and a school that is absent may still teach the subject.

64 schools · 11 concentrations and specializations · 15 certificates · 33 clinics · 47 centers and institutes

Filter these schools in the directory

Program types counted as evidence: clinics, certificates, concentrations and specializations, centers and institutes, externships and field placements. Joint degrees and advanced degrees are described under Degrees & program types.

Sources

These references informed what the area covers. The description above is PreLaw Advisor’s own and does not reproduce their text.

  1. 1.American Bar Association. International Law Section (opens in a new tab) Retrieved Sep 2026.
  2. 2.Law School Admission Council. Fields of Law (opens in a new tab) Retrieved Sep 2026.

Description reviewed Sep 2026. Each school program links to the page it was verified against.