What it looks like to study international law at CWRU
Rising third-year student globe-trots her way to a concurrent law degree—and picks up real-world experience along the way.
Dalerys Feliciano Acevedo started her academic journey close to the Earth’s equator in Puerto Rico. By this fall, she’ll be halfway to the North Pole in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as the first Case Western Reserve law student enrolled in the university’s concurrent degree program.
When a Case Western Reserve University School of Law recruitment email landed in her inbox back in 2024, Feliciano Acevedo had already finished her law school applications. She expected to stay in Puerto Rico to study law, but the email made her second guess her plans.
“[Case Western Reserve] was on my list because of the international law program—it's ranked really high and has opportunities that I had my eye on, such as the concurrent degree program,” she said. “And you never know—you have to take the opportunity, so I applied.”
Soon after, she received her CWRU acceptance—and decided to enroll. While leaving her home country of Puerto Rico was a difficult decision, her father’s advice helped guide her.
“He told me, ‘You could take the easier path and stay on the island, but leaving it gives you more access to opportunities you need. If you like international law, you have to get out of the island to test if you really like it. Don't be afraid—travel and do what you want.’”
Her mother shared the same encouragement, reminding her that opportunities like these were worth pursuing, even though they would miss her.
By the fall of 2024, she found herself on Case Western Reserve’s campus in Cleveland experiencing the opportunities her father mentioned: an editorial role for the Case Western Reserve University Journal of International Law, a $40,000 scholarship through the AccessLex Institute's MAX Personal Finance Program and an externship at INTERPOL in France.
“I told my parents, ‘I applied [for the externship] but it's in France!’” she said, recalling how nervous she felt. “And they were like, ‘Dalerys, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is what you wanted, this is why you went to law school.’”
And so she packed her bags once again, this time for the French town of Lyon where she worked with the Notices and Diffusions Task Force at INTERPOL, conducting research and helping to issue a “red notice,” the closest thing to an international arrest warrant.
“Those are the moments that you feel like you contribute a little to the international world,” said Feliciano Acevedo.
Charting a new course: destination Halifax
Throughout the course of her experiences, Feliciano Acevedo developed an interest in maritime law, fascinated by how the oceans and waterways connect the world’s populations, laws and economies. That’s how she landed an internship this summer with the U.S. Navy in Washington, D.C. There, she is working in Code 14, or the General Litigation Division within the Office of the Judge Advocate General.
“I thought it would get me out of my comfort zone and teach me a lot,” she said. One of her first lessons? U.S. Navy personnel who are outdoors must stop walking and stand at attention whenever the national anthem is playing—something she’d already observed outside her building. Later this summer, she’ll be learning more about military and civil law and how to conduct investigations.
“Civil litigation is kind of broad, and it can touch on different areas of law, which I am enjoying,” she said. “It's really interesting learning how the federal government works, or how the Court of Federal Claims works.”
When her U.S. Navy internship ends in July, Feliciano Acevedo will pack her bags yet again.
This time, she’ll be doing so as the first student to pursue CWRU School of Law's concurrent degree program in maritime law at the Dalhousie University Schulich School of Law in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She will spend her final year in law school earning not just her JD, but also a Master of Laws—and taking courses that, while not available at CWRU, will complement her previous coursework.
“I’m looking forward to enjoying my experience there, making the most of it,” she said. “I want to be able to learn as much as I can.”
Accompanying Feliciano Acevedo on her longest journey yet—a 19-hour road trip to Halifax in September—will be her uncle and her father.
"It’s going to be another experience I’ll be grateful for... maybe?" she said with a laugh.
Taking a more serious tone, she said, “From Puerto Rico to Cleveland—and even to France—I have a crazy amount of people that are supportive. I have built such a system and I'm really thankful that they have pushed me to accomplish these things.”
Learn more about the international law program at CWRU School of Law and the university’s concurrent degree programs available to law students.
