What does it mean to pursue global public service in law school?

Andrea Matačić Cayley

Executive Director of the Center for Law and Global Affairs and Professor of Practice

With more than two decades of experience in international law and justice, Andrea Matačić Cayley has worked on war crimes prosecutions and global accountability efforts, advancing human rights and the rule of law worldwide.

If you are considering a career in international law, human rights or global policymaking, you are likely asking how law school can meaningfully prepare you for that work. At the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, the Center for Law and Global Affairs exists to answer that question.

As executive director, I see our role as simple: prepare students to understand how law operates across borders and to use that understanding in service of communities, institutions and governments around the world.

How can law students gain real international legal experience?

At ASU Law, students do not need to wait until graduation to engage with the global legal community. Through the Center for Law and Global Affairs, they can participate in international externships with U.S. government agencies, congressional offices, NGOs and global institutions while enrolled.

Our summer programs place students in settings such as The Hague, Geneva, Timor-Leste, Italy, South Africa and many other places where they work alongside practitioners addressing accountability, governance and human rights. These are more than simple observational experiences; students conduct research, support legal strategy and engage directly with global legal systems.

We also provide structured fellowships. Student fellows collaborate with faculty on international scholarship, while senior student fellows contribute to major projects and programming in Phoenix and Washington, D.C.

What makes ASU Law distinctive in international law?

The Center for Law and Global Affairs serves as ASU Law’s hub for international legal education, research and professional development. Created in 2008, it was designed to prepare students for an increasingly interconnected legal landscape.

Our faculty bring direct experience from the United Nations, international tribunals, State Department, Pentagon, Department of Justice and major global initiatives. Their lived expertise shapes our curriculum in international human rights, criminal law, national security and global business transactions.

Public service is central to this work. Whether supporting accountability efforts abroad or advancing rule-of-law initiatives, our students learn that international law is practical, policy-driven and grounded in service.

What careers can follow a global law focus?

Graduates apply their international training in roles across federal agencies, global institutions and policy organizations. Alumni have gone on to serve in departments such as Treasury and Homeland Security and in international organizations including the European Court of Justice, International Chamber of Commerce and international law firms.

International law is not an isolated niche, it intersects with business, environmental policy, public health, national security and human rights. Our goal is to ensure students see those intersections clearly and are prepared to navigate them.

If you are looking for a law school experience that integrates global perspective with meaningful public service, the Center for Law and Global Affairs at ASU Law offers a structured pathway to do both.