İrem Işık is a qualified Turkish lawyer, admitted to the Istanbul Bar. Before joining the MIDS program as a scholar, she practiced as an associate at a prestigious Istanbul-based law firm specializing in international dispute resolution. Her professional focus included international commercial and investment arbitration, as well as commercial litigation. During this period, she provided legal counsel to major local and international companies, particularly in the construction, infrastructure, and energy sectors.
İrem earned her LL.B. from Galatasaray University Law School in Turkiye, where she was awarded a merit scholarship by the government throughout her five-year study. She also studied at the University of Florence in Italy as an Erasmus+ mobility student. Her academic journey was marked by active participation in moot courts, where she developed a deep interest in various legal fields, including international arbitration, international human rights, and international criminal law. Notably, she received the National Best Speaker Award and Championship at the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and was a champion in the Istanbul Arbitration Center (ISTAC) Moot, while she advanced to the quarterfinals in the International Criminal Court Moot.
She gained diverse experience through summer internships at various law firms and the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Turkiye, which allowed her to build a comprehensive understanding of multiple domains, including trade, real estate, insurance, and corporate law. Moreover, İrem combined her interests in public international law, cyber law, and international relations, and has published an article on the phenomenon of foreign election interference on social media, demonstrating her engagement with contemporary global issues.
İrem is an active member of the Young Istanbul Arbitration Center, an initiative aimed at nurturing young arbitration practitioners, and the Istanbul Arbitration Association. In addition to her legal pursuits, she is a yoga instructor and loves discovering new cultures. She also has a moderate command of Italian and basic Russian.
Nationality
Türkiye
Working Languages
English
French
Turkish
Areas of Expertise
International Arbitration
Public International Law
Bar Information
Istanbul, Turkiye, 2024