Pem Tshering
⚒️ What do you do?
I am currently an independent practitioner, specialising in Public International Law and International Arbitration, and until very recently worked at Sidley Austin.
I do a mixture of international arbitration and international law in both the litigation and advisory aspect.
I also specialise in Public International Law, having previously worked at the Permanent Court of Arbitration and currently working as part of the team representing the African Union before the ITLOS on the historic first-ever advisory opinion proceedings concerning the climate change crisis and its effects on the marine environment.
🏆 What is your proudest achievement?
My proudest achievement would be being the first person from the Kingdom of Bhutan to read for, and be called to, the Bar of England and Wales, and being in the top 7% of the country when I was called to the Bar.
While I don’t usually like to brag about my academic achievements, I truly had a ball of a time during my Bar course year, being thoroughly challenged in subjects that were training us for life as a barrister and I placed 19th out of over 350 students at the school administering my BPTC course, and I think that is something that I was, and remain, very proud of.
⌛ There are now 25 hours in a day! How do you spend your extra hour?
Learning a language!
I love languages but I can’t find the time to diligently do it.
I want to become fluent in Korean so that I can watch K-dramas (historical ones) without any subtitles. I have long aspired to have a musical skill, and I am currently taking Guzheng lessons so that I will have one.
🚀 If you weren't a lawyer, what would you do?
I would be a diplomat, which is, I suppose, somewhat in line with what I’m doing with Public International Law. Or I’ll be a Historian - I love history, especially periods involving palaces and monarchs, but I’m not entirely sure what the work would actually entail!
😋 Your favourite food haunt
In Seoul, Korea, if you go to Dongdaemun, there are stalls along the road where these Ajummas (Korean older ladies) sell fishcakes and Tteokbbokki. That’s my favourite, especially as they make a spicy version called Busan Eomuk. It also opens till really late so it’s great for a late night snack.