Gawthrop Presents: John Rafferty Speaks on International Lawyers in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area

You don’t have to move to New York or D.C. to become an international lawyer. That was the key message behind a recent panel discussion featuring Gawthrop Greenwood attorney John Rafferty, held September 23, 2019 by Global Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Bar Association.

Rafferty was part of a panel of attorneys who spoke on the education and training of international lawyers in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. He described how his international educational experiences set him on a path to practice international law.

Rafferty’s career began in the U.S. Navy, where he served as a naval officer in southeast Asia, southern California and the Middle East. In Bahrain, he served as the Assistant General Secretary for the Migrant Workers Protection Society, which addressed the housing needs of the area’s migrant workforce. He was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal for meritorious shipboard accomplishments, as well as the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal for exemplary public service efforts.

Upon graduating from Villanova Law School, Rafferty received a Fulbright Fellowship, which enabled him to live in Ecuador for 10 months, where he conducted field research on the scope of human trafficking. When he returned to the U.S., he fought for immigration benefits for victims of human trafficking. Rafferty’s work continues to touch on international issues, as he assists with application preparation on Citizenship Day and serves on the board of La Comunidad Hispana, a non-profit which provides health and social services to Chester County residents.

For more information or to book a workshop for your organization, contact John Rafferty at jrafferty@gawthrop.com or 610-696-8225.