Board Member Spotlight: Marguerite de Chaisemartin

Occupation: Legal expert consultant

Predominant Practice or Research Area: Public international law and international environmental law, with a specific focus on international water law.

What is one piece of advice you would give to a young lawyer looking to get into the field of international law?

"Don't hesitate to reach out to practitioners, academics, or staff of international organizations. It is an exciting and rewarding field of law, and the job opportunities in international law are diverse and numerous. Don't hesitate either to cultivate a multi-disciplinary expertise, it is useful. Opportunities are varied in international law, and more specifically international environmental law. Law firms are one of many options. Young professional programmes of the United Nations, as well as other international organizations and development banks offer great opportunities. In the UN, international law jobs include opportunities at the programmatic level, in international courts and tribunals, or at the secretariats of international conventions, with some based in Canada. Canada's permanent missions to UN HQ, agencies, or programmes can sometimes be an interesting source of information to stay up to date on their work and opportunities for nationals within the organization."