Initially, the native of Wassenaar, the northern province of The Netherlands, chose GW Law for its reputation of academic excellence as well as its co-curricular programs. However, once he began attending classes, he found the benefits to be even greater than he had anticipated. “Never before have I been integrated into such a diverse community where the vigorous exchange of ideas is commonplace,” asserts Al-Haj, who is on schedule to graduate later this year.
Throughout his studies at GW Law, Al-Haj has taken advantage of all the school has to offer and gained invaluable experience as a result. For example, although he had no particular interest in finance, he enrolled in a banking seminar and discovered a new focus. He now has plans to specialize in the area. He further explored his interest through the law school’s Center for Law, Economics, & Finance, where he interacted with legal practitioners from around the globe on issues of economic and financial significance.
Furthermore, Al-Haj has participated in a number of externships, thereby establishing the practical skills that are crucial to those in the legal field. Most recently, he served as a summer associate at Sherman & Sterling LLP in the Washington DC metro area. He worked with the Mergers and Acquisitions and Asset Management groups where he was tasked with performing due diligence, researching and drafting legal memoranda, attending the board meetings of select investment funds, and joining with lead counsel at negotiations for both the sale and purchase of corporate subsidiaries.
During the summer of 2010, Al-Haj functioned as a legal intern at Bristol Myers Squibb, where his duties included research, drafting memoranda, analyzing contractual agreements, facilitating litigation discovery processes, and advising junior management on certain legal issues.
In 2009, Al-Haj interned at The International Criminal Court in The Hague for seven months. In addition to observing the trial of Thomas Lubanga and reporting court updates to the Prosecutor, he also provided speeches for the Prosecutor’s public appearances, prepared press releases, and composed and updated documents on positions taken by government officials for the Prosecutor’s use.
Al-Haj has also interned at The Center for Constitutional Rights, the Virginia House of Delegates, and MBC Television at the United Nations Headquarters. While interning with The Center for Constitutional Rights, he was involved with researching and reviewing prisoner information and needs, as well as developing a filing system for efficiently keeping records of Guantanamo Bay detainees in need of counsel. His internship activities have also allowed him to attend a range of meetings such as The Council on Foreign Relations.
At GW Law, Al-Haj is active in the Corporate and Business Law Society and the Banking Law Society.
Following his graduation, Al-Haj be joining Shearman & Sterling’s corporate practice in New York and ultimately intends to pursue a career in financial reform.
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