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Prior to his study at WCL, Backes received his law degree in Germany and completed his required apprenticeship in various fields of the law. Before he began his LL.M., he worked for six months at a German law firm in corporate and labor law. While at WCL, he focused on international trade, environmental law and worked on dispute settlement issues with the World Trade Organization. The work he did for the WTO in particular has been extremely useful in his current work with the International Mediator.

Peter Backes (left) and WCL's Rochus Pronk serving as election observers at the September 1996 elections in Bosnia-Hercegovina. Photo courtesy of Rochus Pronk

The opportunity to work in the Mediator's office came accidentally, through a friend who had heard about the job. The mediation and arbitration process is operated primarily by Americans and Germans, so they specifically wanted someone who had legal training both in Germany and the United States. Backes chose to pursue an LLM. in the United States because this training makes a lawyer much more marketable in Germany. The decision was obviously fortuitous, as he believes that he would not have his current position if not for his study in the United States.

The mediation in Bosnia-Hercegovina is mainly political and electoral, although human rights are a key part of the Dayton Accords being implemented by the mediation team. Backes believes the experience of working for the Mediator has given him insight into politics and diplomacy and has helped him to understand how difficult and deep-rooted the conflict is. He says it requires patience to deal with the intense hatred that sometimes surfaces. Many meetings are friendly but some can get very tense.

The work of the Mediator is expected to continue through 1997, or as long as there is a need. Although Backes did not anticipate doing this type of work, he has found that he really enjoys it and finds the political aspects of his job to be very interesting. Working for the Mediator has also provided him with interesting experiences such as serving as an election observer for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Bosnia-Hercegovina. When he has finished his work for the mediator he would like to take the mediation talents he has developed into the realm of business, possibly working in dispute resolution.