The following is an interview with Mossaed Al-Barrak, who is currently working at the Law Library of Congress as a foreign law intern.
Describe your background.
I graduated from King Saud University College of Law and Political Science with an LL.B. When I graduated, I worked in our family business, Al-Barrak Industrial Group, where I was in charge of the legal department overseeing the agreements in the international trading area. Then I decided to explore working at an international law firm, so I joined Al-jadaan & Partners Law, which was a cooperation partner of Clifford Chance LLP. I worked in their corporate team.
After I worked with the law firm, I realized the importance of acquiring knowledge abroad to widen my experience in comparative law and sharpen my skills in this field, so I decided to study overseas. I studied Legal English at Boston University and then moved to Washington, D.C., where I am currently studying at the Georgetown University Law Center. At the Georgetown Law Center I am specializing in International Business and Economic Law with a certificate in International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution and a certificate in Legal English.
How would you describe your job to other people?
As an intern at the Law Library of Congress my work mainly focuses on research on Gulf Cooperation Council countries for the U.S. Congress, federal agencies, and courts, in different areas of law. I also conduct research regarding new laws in Saudi Arabia to help build the collection.
Why did you want to work at the Law Library of Congress?
The Law Library of Congress has a unique system of collecting and acquiring law materials from all jurisdictions in the world. This attracted me to look at this institution. In addition, the Law Library provides information on foreign laws to a range of clients, and working here provides a great opportunity to see and experience this work. Furthermore, working with people with diverse professional backgrounds provides an unmatched experience. It is my honor to work at the Law Library of Congress, a prestigious and well-known center of knowledge.
What is the most interesting fact you have learned about the Law Library?
The first fact is that the Law Library of Congress is committed to acquiring laws from all around the world and preserving them in the Library. Second, having a government body that is a source of legal information for the whole U.S. government – the Congress, federal agencies, and courts – is astonishing. Third, I realized that lawmakers in this country are serious about receiving information from authoritative sources.
What is something most of your co-workers do not know about you?
I love horse riding, astronomy, and public speaking.