Season 4: Episode 5: Ezequiel Carman
Global Regulatory Operations and Policy Manager, Carrot near Chicago
Ezequiel Carman
Global Regulatory Operations and Policy Manager, Carrot near Chicago
How to land an in-house job as a global health law LLM?
When Ezequiel was pursuing his LLM in global health law, he wasn’t sure where he would end up working after graduation. Then the job found him. One day, he received an email from classmate asking whether he’d be interested in joining a new think tank that the classmate would lead. As it turned out the classmate remembered Ezequiel and the insightful questions he asked from their international trade class. The friend reached out to him because the new think tank needed a trade specialist. That’s how Ezequiel landed his first job after his LLM.
How to network effectively to impress your next potential employer?
What classes and activities were the most helpful in developing his career?
What’s his advice on how to use LinkedIn to land internships and jobs?
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Tell us about your professional background.
Before doing my LLM at Georgetown, I worked for almost eight years at a software company in my home country, Argentina, focusing on compliance work. I also worked as a legal advisor for the Ministry of Justice in Argentina. At Georgetown, I started working with think tanks around Washington, DC, doing public policy for Latin America. That was my background. Then, I had the opportunity to join Carrot Fertility as a global regulatory specialist. I want to use my background and global experience to add value to what Carrot was doing. For those who don't know, Carrot Fertility offers fertility benefits to companies for their employees. We deal with different regulations around the world to determine if the services we offer are legal and what frameworks we need to work within for each country.
There are quite a few months between being admitted and coming to the U.S. to pursue their LLM. What should the students be doing to prepare for their LLM?
For me, it depends on where you want to land a job. If you are looking to work in Big Law, then taking typical bar courses to prepare for the bar exam is a must. However, if you're aiming for a non-traditional career path, such as working in legal operations or as an in-house counsel, you have more freedom to choose courses that interest you. There are many great courses at Georgetown, and I remember they were all really good. In my experience, I didn’t focus on completing all the required bar courses because I was more interested in academic and think tank roles, where a law license isn’t always necessary. However, I believe there are still certain bar courses that are highly relevant and provide a valuable understanding of American law, which I consider essential. But there are courses that will give you a good sense of American law, which I think is essential. Additionally, all the activities regarding networking. Work on your elevator pitches. Talk to the career services attorneys to improve your resume.
What classes and activities were most helpful to develop your career?
First of all, realize who is teaching the class. Know your professor. In my case, my LLM was in global health law, and I pursued Georgetown because Professor Lawrence Gostin, an eminent figure in health law. Learning from one of the best in the world, especially someone actively working in public and health policy, was a great experience.
I chose certain courses based solely on who was teaching because I had read and known many of their work beforehand. Use professors as leverage to network. I had the opportunity to become good friends with some professors, and I'm still invited to be a guest lecturer in some courses to speak on topics I'm currently working on.
There are many conferences happening every week at Georgetown on various topics. There are student associations hosting panels that help you improve your network. There are activities on how to network effectively, land a job, and improve your resume. Take advantage of these activities. They usually offer free food, which is a plus, but more importantly, they provide opportunities to meet people, talk to alumni, and attend conferences on campus.
Practicum courses are invaluable. These practical courses involve working on real cases that can have an immediate impact. This might include drafting, helping a professor argue a case, or doing research on public policy. Georgetown has excellent externships and practicum courses. If you want hands-on experience, this is the way to do it. It’s also a great way to land a job afterward because it gives you the opportunity to work with people outside Georgetown and showcase your skills and value.
How did you get your first job in the United States?
Networking. I didn't believe in it before coming to Georgetown, but now I'm a true advocate for networking after my experience there. The two jobs I got after Georgetown were purely through networking. I know from personal experience that this happened to a lot of my friends too.
One job came about because I was doing research for one of the many research centers at Georgetown. After I graduated, I continued that research, and they hired me for a special research role they had at the time. Then, I was lucky enough to just hear from one of my colleagues and friends, someone I studied with at Georgetown. He was hired to be the director of a think tank. He reached out to me and asked if I wanted to join him in this new venture. I joined him in setting up the Latin America branch. That connection came from a simple email. He remembered me asking great questions during a lecture on trade law and reached out because he needed a trade specialist. So the advice here to raise your voice in classes and ask questions. It's not only professors who will remember you, but also your fellow colleagues. They might think of you as someone they'd want to work with in the future.
How did you overcome the visa sponsorship issue?
In my experience, when trying to secure a visa or eventually a green card, don't be afraid to ask and follow up. In big law firms, this might not be an issue, but in smaller companies or other places you might land a job, they might not be familiar with the US immigration process for international students. Be sure to stay on top of that because you are the one most invested in securing a work visa after your LLM. Don’t hesitate to ask if they’re willing to sponsor you and what the process entails. If they agree to sponsor you, ask specific questions. Ask how it will work out, how many weeks they need, and what documents they need to submit.
What is your most meaningful experience during your LLM year?
Georgetown brings amazing people to these kinds of great conferences and big talks. I was at the main campus one day when Mark Zuckerberg was talking about privacy issues, which was about two or three years ago. That was amazing from my experience.
These kinds of events happen almost every week. Sometimes it's someone as prominent as Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, or Supreme Court justices. It’s all free for students.
There was a professor who usually invited guest lecturers to speak on various topics. He was the director of a public think tank around Washington, DC. After the lecture, I spoke to him and he invited me to his office to learn more about the work they were doing. So, after Georgetown, I spent a day shadowing him, seeing firsthand the work he was doing. It was a valuable experience to learn directly from that environment.
What advice would you have for next generation of internationally trained lawyers, who are interested in gaining practical experience here in the United States?
My advice would be that know you are not alone. You don't have to do this by yourself. There's a great network of alumni here to help you because we understand your situation. They were you. Networking is key. Nowadays, that means getting on Linkedin. Dedicate as much time to LinkedIn as you do to other social networks like Facebook and Instagram. Brush up your LinkedIn profile, post things you like, and repost articles you find interesting. Comment on other people's articles or ideas because that will appear on their feed and expand your network. LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool and it doesn’t cost you much—just time.
When I was looking for jobs, I allocated one hour each day to review, post, write, and share something. Put your ideas out there to improve your network. People will connect with you, and you can contact someone on LinkedIn and ask for a coffee chat. Not everyone will say yes, but eventually, someone will, and that could be the person who opens the door for you. Don’t be discouraged if not everyone responds to your messages. Keep trying. Ask for introductions if you want to land a job at a particular firm or company. Someone in your network might know someone there and can facilitate an introduction.
