Nathan Grzegorek
A law school degree can open many doors, but for John Marshall Law School graduate Nathan Grzegorek (’11) the door just happens to be many miles away and across the Atlantic Ocean.
Later this month, Grzegorek leaves the United States for a six-month internship with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at The Hague, Netherlands.
“My position is kind of akin to a law clerk position in the United States,” Grzegorek said, noting that he will be working with judges and other legal officers assigned to a particular courtroom, writing memoranda, sitting in on trials and helping with the court’s administrative tasks.
The Tribunal was established in 1993 as an arm of the United Nations to prosecute war crimes including genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the 1990s in the former Yugoslavia.
“At the very least, it will be a big adventure,” said Grzegorek, who has been working at Larson and Associates. But he is hoping it will be much more than that; perhaps a stepping stone to a career in international criminal law while at the same time allowing him to witness, maybe even participate in, history in the making.
Eventually, Grzegorek said, “I’d like to have a full-time position with the United Nations in one of its courts in some sort of capacity.”
He had studied international law at John Marshall with Professors William Mock and Shahram Dana, and credits both with encouraging him and recommending him for the position at The Hague.
Dana, a frequent global lecturer, had been selected by The Hague Forum for Judicial Expertise to train senior judges, prosecutors, and government officials on crimes against humanity, international criminal law, human rights, and the International Criminal Court.
Grzegorek’s parents are undoubtedly proud of their son’s achievements.
“My mom’s a little nervous for me,” he said. “But at the same time I think both my mom and my dad realize it’s a really great opportunity.”