Attorneys who represent prisoners of war need to have specialized knowledge of international law. Apart from territorial disputes, other disputes may arise when one nation's activities threaten to destabilize its adversaries. For instance, when one country is involved in the production and testing of nuclear weaponry, this can cause conflict if its adversaries feel threatened by the venture. Other actions, such as satellite espionage, forming a military alliance with a nation's adversaries, and the like, can also lead to wars between countries. Prisoners of war are often treated differently than other prisoners. For example, in the US's ''War on Terror,'' the majority of enemy combatants have been held in solitary confinement in the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay. Lawyers representing these prisoners therefore have a daunting task in defending their clients, as they have not been treated like other prisoners in the US penal system. Generally speaking, it is very uncommon for lawyers to win cases for prisoners of war. To prosecute prisoners of war, meanwhile, lawyers may have to travel to the countries where the alleged crimes were committed in order to gather evidence to implicate the accused. War crimes usually occur over a long period of time, and this may necessitate that the people in legal jobs gather evidence over a number of months or even years. Also, some witnesses to the alleged crimes may have died, and some survivors may not be willing to volunteer information. This may prolong the time taken to get the evidence. Outside the arena of literal war, firms or individuals may find themselves ''at war'' with other parties due to many actions such as breaches of contract, fraud, divorce, and so on. Some of the disputes that companies are involved in include employment disputes, medical and legal malpractice cases, business and commercial disputes, and personal injury cases, among others. Employment disputes may involve discrimination based on religion, race, age, gender, and origin. Medical and legal malpractice cases involve medical and legal work that was not carried out according to the given profession's required standards. Business and commercial disputes may involve partnership agreements, corporate disputes, contractual disputes, insurance disputes, real estate disputes, and so on. Litigation relating to personal injuries may include slipping and falling, assault and battery, wrongful death, and motor vehicle injuries among others. There are many options that are available to a party that has been injured, whether physically or financially. One can decide to seek legal redress by going to the courts, or the matter can be settled by agreement outside of the courts of law. In order to qualify for attorney jobs, one is required to have a college degree and to have gone to law school for three years. Most states require lawyers who are practicing within their jurisdiction to be licensed by the relevant state authority. Licensure comes after the lawyer has successfully passed a bar examination that is administered by a body authorized by the state. Lawyers who represent prisoners of war need to be experienced in handling international criminal cases, and they should be conversant with international law. Some of the fields of study that may be helpful to them include international relations, history, and others. In addition, they should understand the foreign policies of the countries involved, and they should be ready to travel as needed for the purpose of gathering evidence to exonerate their clients. As human rights groups become increasingly involved in the welfare of international prisoners of war, the lawyers involved should keep abreast of changing practices and advancements that may benefit their clients.

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