Zahra Hosseinpour, 2025–2026 Bredin Prat Excellence Scholar

My interest in international arbitration grew out of a broader curiosity about how disputes are resolved across borders. I completed a Master’s Degree in International Law, where my research focused on international dispute settlement and the role of legal institutions in promoting access to justice.

Coming from Iran, where cross-border disputes often unfold within complex geopolitical and legal contexts, these questions quickly became more than purely academic. They led me to explore more closely the interaction between public international law and international arbitration, and the role arbitration can play in providing neutral frameworks for resolving international disputes.

Alongside my studies, I tried to approach arbitration from different angles. I worked as a legal counsel at the only international institution in my country dedicated to dispute settlement through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), where I was involved in the administration of proceedings, legal advisory work, and the development of institutional rules. I later worked with arbitral tribunals as an arbitrator assistant, which gave me insight into the analytical and deliberative processes behind arbitral decision-making. I also collaborated with legal teams representing parties in arbitration. At the same time, I developed skills in international contract drafting to better understand the contractual foundations of arbitration. Alongside these professional experiences, I remained engaged with the field through writing and research.

Experiencing dispute settlement from these different vantage points, institutions, tribunals, and parties, gave me a broader understanding of how arbitration functions in practice. It also shaped my academic perspective and helped me approach questions of international dispute settlement with a more critical and nuanced view.

My experience at Sciences Po Law School has been both challenging and enriching. One aspect I have particularly valued is how the program encourages us to think about international arbitration within the broader realities of today’s international legal and political landscape.

In the classroom, discussions often go beyond doctrinal analysis. Many courses engage directly with real disputes and practical questions, which has pushed me to think more critically about how international arbitration operates in practice. Studying alongside practitioners from different legal traditions has also been a defining part of the experience. These exchanges constantly challenge my assumptions and open new ways of approaching legal questions.

Beyond the classroom, the program also makes strong use of the opportunities available in Paris as a hub of international arbitration. Through specialized forums, conferences, and professional events, I have had the opportunity to engage directly with practitioners and gain first-hand insight into the practical realities of the field.

Being selected as the Bredin Prat Excellence Scholar is both an honor and a meaningful distinction at this stage of my academic and professional journey.

What makes this distinction particularly meaningful to me is the firm’s strong engagement in international arbitration, including investment arbitration, and its attention to developments in the Middle East. Knowing that this recognition comes from a practice that actively contributes to these discussions makes it especially encouraging.

For me, this recognition reinforces my sense of purpose to continue developing my work in international arbitration and to pursue this path with greater focus and commitment.

In the near term, I hope to pursue my career in international arbitration with a focus on advocacy, particularly in international investment and commercial arbitration, including cases involving the Middle East. I am especially interested in disputes where legal, economic, and geopolitical considerations intersect, and where arbitration plays a key role in resolving complex cross-border disputes.

At the same time, I would like to remain actively connected to the arbitration community through research, writing, and professional collaboration, continuing to explore how arbitration evolves within the broader landscape of international law.

In the longer term, I hope to become an arbitrator. As an Iranian woman working in this field, I also feel motivated to contribute to greater representation and to highlight the growing potential of practitioners from the region within the global arbitration community.

Come prepared to be challenged, both intellectually and professionally. The program requires curiosity, rigor, and active engagement, but it also offers remarkable opportunities.

My main advice would be to make the most of everything it offers: build relationships with professors and practitioners, engage actively in moots and practical exercises, and take advantage of the international diversity of your cohort.

Perhaps most importantly, stay open to questioning your own legal assumptions. Some of the most valuable learning comes from exchanging ideas with people who approach legal problems from different traditions and perspectives.

The LLM is not just an academic program, it is an ecosystem. The more you invest in it, the more it can shape your professional path.