International Trade in Practice: An Interview with Alum Mr. Daniel Parga
part two
Read part one of our interview with Mr. Parga here.
Tell me a little bit about your experiences outside the classroom.
I participated in both Spanish and English international arbitration moot court competitions. It was a great experience because I got to see the way that other students in Spanish-speaking countries were being educated and their approach to international arbitration, as well as the opportunity to expand my network of colleagues, many of whom I am still in touch with as friends today. The competitions themselves were really great because as a participant, I had access to coaches with very rich experience that were willing to share their knowledge and their time, precisely because of that strong relationship with the law school.
I was also invited to participate as a coach for a couple of moot competitions. Those were mostly for LL.M. students, which was a great experience because I was able to see the way that LL.M. students, already lawyers in their own countries, developed arguments and thought about problem-solving in new and innovative ways. Getting a taste of how these “mini” arbitrations were conducted gave me a chance to understand the field beyond the classroom and I really appreciated that opportunity at WCL. This is not to mention the fun we had with new friends and colleagues, and getting to travel to Colombia representing WCL for one of them!
What advice would you give to current LL.M. or J.D. students?
Take advantage of all the internships you can do while you're in DC, especially if you are able to do so during the semester. Being in DC opens doors to so many opportunities with international organizations, law firms, NGOs, human rights groups, government agencies, and more, all headquartered or with extensive operations in DC. I had internships during the semester, and I absolutely believe that they gave me an advantage over other law students around the country (and perhaps the world). For instance, I did internships at the Embassy of Mexico, the Inter-American Development Bank, and an international law firm during the course of my studies. Doing these internships during the regular semester allowed me to work at these places for longer periods of time and to get to know the organization better.
In addition, talk to your colleagues and make friends with your peers. WCL fosters a warm and welcoming collegial environment. One thing that always amazed me was how little people realize that the person sitting next to you in a classroom is going to be a future practitioner, like you, in a few years. Get to know your peers, treat them kindly, and learn from them – this, as well as sharing your own knowledge with them, is very important. WCL offers JD students to interact with LL.M. students who offer a breadth of experience from all around the world. Getting to know them in particular helped me assess how to culturally adapt to help further my clients’ needs when I became a practitioner myself.
The third recommendation that I would have is to get out there and talk to people in DC. If you see that people at the Department of Commerce or the Department of State, for example, do something that you think you would be interested in doing in the future, send them an email, reach out via LinkedIn, or invite them to a coffee, but make sure you utilize the opportunities you have right in your backyard. What I've found is that most practitioners out there are very happy to talk to law students and give professional and academic advice. I experienced it myself as a student and now when students reach out to me I'm always very happy to talk to them and share as much as I can with them.
Lastly, if you have time, learn other languages. The following phrase is often attributed to Nelson Mandela: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” I agree, and your future clients probably will as well.
"WCL offers JD students to interact with LL.M. students who offer a breadth of experience from all around the world. Getting to know them in particular helped me assess how to culturally adapt to help further my clients’ needs when I became a practitioner myself."