The Washington Foreign Law Society
is pleased to announce its upcoming event
Careers In International Law
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
From 5:30 to 7:30 PM ET
The event will be followed by a short networking reception.
Covington & Burling LLP, 850 10th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Ruff Room (1st floor)
Join the Washington Foreign Law Society (WFLS) on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at 5:30 PM ET for a stimulating panel discussion on Careers In International Law. Come hear firsthand from experienced practitioners in private practice, the U.S. government, and international organizations, on their career paths in international law and their advice for pursuing an international legal career.
Please register below.
If you are not yet a member of the WFLS, please join here.
Miguel López Forastier co-chairs Covington’s International Arbitration and Disputes practice and Global Problem Solving practice. He has successfully represented a wide range of clients, including those in the oil and gas, mining, biotech, pharmaceutical, communications, financial services, and food industries in both investor-State and commercial arbitrations. Recognized by Chambers Global, Chambers Latin America, and Legal 500 as a leading international arbitration lawyer, Miguel’s work is praised by clients for his “thorough analysis, insightful advocacy, and consistently reliable judgment.” Both civil-law and common-law trained, Miguel handles contentious work in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Miguel is a frequent lecturer on arbitration and international law issues at conferences and universities around the globe. He also sits as arbitrator.
Victor Ban serves as Special Counsel for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Before joining USTR, Mr. Ban practiced law at Covington & Burling LLP and clerked for the Hon. Rudolph Contreras on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the Hon. Emilio Garza on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Previously, Mr. Ban was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School, Oxford University, and Harvard College, and is a licensed U.S. customs broker.
Karin L. Kizer is an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of the Legal Adviser of the Department of State, where she has served for almost two decades in positions leading and providing legal advice to U.S. delegations in a variety of multilateral negotiations, and is currently serving in the Office of Oceans, Environment and Science, as the sole lawyer for global health security. She recently represented the United States at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), and the International Institute for the Unification of Private International Law (UNIDROIT) in negotiations on a variety of international commercial matters, including international arbitration, and other forms of dispute settlement. Ms. Kizer also has extensive substantive expertise in trade and investment. She currently provides legal advice on environmental matters related to international trade and for over a decade provided legal advice on the negotiation and implementation of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and disputes related to BITs and investment chapters of free trade agreements. Ms. Kizer also has experience providing legal advice on a variety of international policy matters related to national security, including with the review of transactions by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and negotiations at the World Health Organization related to U.S. global health security goals, such as pandemic preparedness, response and prevention. Ms. Kizer’s expertise in dispute settlement includes participation in cases before the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal and ad hoc international tribunals under various international investment agreements.
Ms. Kizer has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Washington School of Law at American University in Washington, D.C. Before joining the State Department in 2006, Ms. Kizer worked as an attorney at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., where she specialized in international dispute resolution and litigation. She also clerked for Judge Jane R. Roth on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Before becoming an attorney, Ms. Kizer worked as an analyst in the International Affairs Division of the Office of Management and Budget, where her duties included analyzing foreign aid and advising on international trade policy. She has a J.D. from the University of Chicago, an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and a B.A. from the University of Arizona.
Moderator: Amanda Tuninetti counsels companies and states in complex international disputes. She represents clients in commercial and investor-state arbitrations, as well as public international law disputes, before international courts and tribunals..
Her practice also involves the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards and agreements to arbitrate before U.S. district courts and courts of appeal. She has experience advising companies, governments, and trade associations on issues of international trade and investment law and policy.
Amanda is an adjunct professor of international law at The George Washington University Law School and maintains an active pro bono practice helping individuals in U.S. immigration matters and under international human rights law.