Thomas Cottier is an Emeritus Professor of European and International Economic Law at the University of Bern and a founding and former Managing Director of the World Trade Institute. He has taught in Geneva, Germany and China and was also a member of the Swiss National Research Council from 1997-2004 and served on the board of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) Rome during the same period. In addition to academics Prof. Cottier als oserved Baker & McKenzie law firm as Of Counsel from 1998 to 2005. Most notably, Prof. Cottier served in the Swiss negotiating team of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tarrifs and Trade (GATT) a seminal piece of multilateral international law that governs international trade between the signatory nations. 

Prof. Cottier sat down for a short conversation with Josh Smith to speak about his career as both a practitioner and academic. In this candid, thoughtful interview Prof. Cottier offers up his well-rounded opinions on legal career paths, careers in private practice v. academic research, academic collaboration, climate change, why law school debt and competition might be a ‘good’ thing and how to use one’s law school skills to shape the law, as well as one’s career. 

If you’re thinking of choosing private practice or academics – you may want to listen to this podcast!