Request for career advice - internationally educated lawyer, experience in international development

Looking for advice on my career. I have an undergraduate degree in law (B.A. LL.B.) from India, and an Ontario post grad certificate in International development. I have over 5 years experience with the UNHCR doing refugee status determination assessments and a Canadian post secondary institution designing and leading projects in East Africa and the Indo Pacific on education, employment outcomes, gender, sustainability, and disability inclusion.

I've been preparing for the FSA credential. I have a PMP. My undergrad degree has been assessed but I haven’t done my accreditation exams yet.

I am ready for a bigger challenge.

I keep coming back to an LLM from a Canadian university as a solid option. I didn't enjoy being a lawyer early in my career, but I'd be open to going back to it to gain that professional credential and explore non-practicing roles. I have been thinking about applying for an LLM in international business and trade, to combine my legal background and international project experience, and open myself up to opportunities in ESG, social finance, consulting firms, etc.
I would target roles in-house or at consulting firms in teams that do business and human rights and sustainability work.

Would love to get a perspective on this from someone in the Canadian legal/sustainability industry. Does this pivot make sense? What can I do to navigate into the corporate BHR or sustainable finance or impact investing space? Please let me know if there's any additional information I can provide to facilitate a reasoned response. Thanks a lot for taking the time!

Posted Aug 5, 2026, 1:32 PM UTC

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