I recently spoke with Dr. John Hall regarding his experience working in the Peace and Justice field. Dr. Hall is a professor at the Chapman University Fowler School of Law, where he currently teaches a range of subjects, including International Law and Human Rights. Dr. Hall has had an impressive career in the Peace and Justice field. Following a hitch-hiking trip in South East Asia, he became inspired to shift his professional focus from American history to Human Rights Law. He earned his J.D. in law from Stanford University and has participated in extensive human rights fieldwork in Cambodia and the Philippines. Due to the fact that I am interested in a potential career in international public law and human rights, I felt that Dr. Hall would be an excellent person to speak to. We talked about his experiences working in a global arena, studying and practicing law, and building a career in the human rights field. Throughout our conversation, Dr. Hall was able to use his personal experiences to offer valuable insight and advice for myself and other students who may be interested in pursuing a career in this field.

Dr. Hall earned his J.D. from Stanford Law School

One crucial point that Dr. Hall emphasized was the importance of fieldwork. He stated that he views the opportunity to do fieldwork as the most important aspect of his work in human rights. Participating in fieldwork offers valuable opportunities to build connections and gain experience in this field. Dr. Hall also explained that working abroad can assist with building language skills, which can prove to be highly valuable for those who are interested in international law or human rights work. Additionally, fieldwork can provide young professionals with a more robust understanding of how other countries, as well as the international community as a whole, function and interact. Dr. Hall illustrated the importance of building an understanding of a variety of cultures and norms by reflecting on his own experiences while providing legal aid in Cambodia and emphasized the fact that it is essential to understand how to adapt and adjust your practices in order to effectively conduct work abroad. In this sense, fieldwork is valuable because it is the most effective way to provide professionals with opportunities to further the knowledge and skills that are necessary to succeed in this field.

Dr. Hall also emphasized the importance of planning ahead and being strategic and adaptable. Because it may be challenging to find a paying job in human rights work as a young professional, it is important to keep financial restrictions in mind, particularly concerning educational and living costs. Additionally, he explained that diligence and perseverance are highly valuable to securing a job in this field. Dr. Hall recounted times near the beginning of his career in human rights, during which he had to fight hard to secure a position with organizations in order to do the work he was interested in. He underscored the importance of being assertive and taking advantage of the opportunities that are thrown your way. The importance of fieldwork is also relevant in this regard due to the fact that many jobs are based on recommendations or connections, meaning that it may be necessary to engage in volunteer work in order to secure a paying job. Finally, adaptability is vital because of the high level of uncertainty associated with doing work in this field. Dr. Hall stated that this is especially relevant when working with NGOs, which may shift their interests based on new causes or the interests of the international community. Because of this, professionals must be able to adapt to the ever-changing dynamics of this field and the interests of the organizations they work with.

This conversation with Dr. Hall provided me with further insight into the complexities, but also the importance and value, of working in the Peace and Justice field. Due to the fact that this field can be so challenging to get into, I appreciate the immense value of learning from the experiences and advice of professionals. Throughout Dr. Hall’s career, he has clearly gained incredible knowledge, experience, and insight, and I am immensely grateful for the time that I was able to spend with him and for the advice and recommendations he provided.