A dynamic alternative
by Catherine Deyarmond
After earning his undergraduate degree at St. Mary’s University, Robert Dunlap (B.A. ’06, M.A. ’11, J.D. ’11) decided to return to campus to combine his interest in law and his love of international relations.
In 2011, Dunlap completed the St. Mary’s University School of Law J.D./M.A. in International Relations Joint Degree Program. With his education and passion for law and international relations, Dunlap has developed a successful career in international trade compliance.
“St. Mary’s prepared me in ways I didn’t foresee,” he said. “It is all very serendipitous.”
The Joint Degree Program with the International Relations component was created in response to the internationalization of relations among the countries of the world, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the globalization of the world’s economy. These factors resulted in an increased need for lawyers who have an international perspective on the practice of law.
After law school, Dunlap said he spent 10 years working for a San Antonio manufacturer with operations in Mexico, where he learned a lot.
While working on his J.D./M.A. degrees, Dunlap said he took one class held entirely in Spanish.
“Little did I know I would later be working with a company on the border,” he said. “I was well prepared to work with Mexican laws.”
A new chapter
When Dunlap started looking for his next career opportunity, he was approached by a representative from West Pharmaceutical Services.
“They saw something in my background and skill set they needed, plus they liked that I had dabbled in information technology.”
For the last two years, Dunlap has served as manager of global trade compliance for West Pharmaceutical Services. He works remotely from his home in San Antonio and travels twice a year to the company’s headquarters in Exton, Pennsylvania.
The global manufacturer of injectable medicines has seven sites in the U.S. as well as in Europe, the European Union, Asia, Central and South America.
Dunlap said he is responsible for ensuring the company stays compliant and follows the spirit of the law in all jurisdictions around the world where the company operates.
“A lot of what we do is cross-functional collaboration between trade compliance, legal and regulatory,” he said.
“St. Mary’s prepared me in ways I didn’t foresee. It is all very serendipitous.”
— Robert Dunlap (B.A. ’06, M.A. ’11, J.D. ’11)
Dunlap describes his work as “extraordinarily dynamic, which is probably an understatement. Every day is different. I think about the jobs where you do the same thing every day. This is the polar opposite of that.”
International trade
Working in international trade compliance means dealing with emerging regulations around the world that have not been seen before, he said.
“We have to figure out how new regulations will impact our space and our operations,” he said. “As soon as we figure one out, a new one is coming around the corner.”
For law students or graduates looking for an alternative to practicing in a traditional legal environment, Dunlap said many options exist to use their degrees.
“There are so many options outside of the traditional law firm environment,” he said. “Trade compliance is one of them. This is where I found my home. Looking back, I couldn’t be happier.”
