---
esco_uri: http://data.europa.eu/esco/skill/a3aa300b-6636-40fc-abe7-4ab3808dd742
esco_label: "international law"
relation: optional
onet_soc: 23-1011.00
source: model-knowledge
confidence: high
qa_count: 1
generator: gemma3:27b (prompt-designed and spot-checked by Claude)
generated: 2026-07-10
---

# international law — Legal Counsel

As Legal Counsel, 'international law' isn’t about drafting treaties (usually!). It’s about *risk assessment* and ensuring your company operates legally across borders. This means understanding how international norms – trade regulations like WTO rules, sanctions regimes (OFAC/EU lists are key tools), export controls, anti-corruption laws (FCPA, UK Bribery Act) – impact business decisions. Daily tasks include advising on contract clauses for cross-border deals, reviewing supply chains for compliance with human rights standards (modern slavery acts), and responding to due diligence requests related to international operations. It's less about knowing the full text of every treaty, and more about knowing *where* to look when a potential issue arises.

## Praxiswissen (Stack Exchange, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

**The questioner struggles with why Russian fighters in Ukraine are legally classified as soldiers entitled to POW status, despite appearing to commit acts of terror and Russia’s denial of a formal state of war.**

International law, specifically the Geneva Conventions, defines applicability based on *the existence of armed conflict* and occupation—not on declarations of war or a party's self-description. This means protections apply regardless of whether a nation formally acknowledges being at war or if its forces commit violations. Even suspected war criminals retain POW rights; accountability for crimes is handled through legal processes, separate from basic humanitarian protection under the conventions.

*Source: [Why are Russian combatants in Ukraine considered soldiers rather than terrorists](https://law.stackexchange.com/q/85191) — answer by phoog, CC-BY-SA 4.0*

## Weitere Anreicherung

Stage-2 source for future practitioner grounding: CORE / DOAB (open-access law monographs).
