IN THE MONTHS and years ahead, with Adam Kolker’s help, Penn Law will gain greater recognition among international lawyers in Europe and Latin America. The school will attract a more diverse community of LL.M. students. And it will offer a richer array of international courses.

And that’s just a glimpse of the possibilities, as Kolker begins to flesh out his ambitious plans as the new assistant dean for graduate and international programs.

“I hope to move Penn Law ahead by developing close relationships with foreign academic institutions and by building ties to multilateral organizations and international financial institutions,” said Kolker, who was appointed in May.

The well-traveled Kolker brings a wealth of pertinent experience to the job.

A graduate of Swarthmore College and Yale Law School, where he was managing editor of the Yale Journal of International Law, Kolker spent four years as a foreign service officer at the U.S. embassies in Venezuela, Grenada, and Spain. As a Luce Scholar, he performed policy work on Japanese international affairs for a member of the Japanese Diet, and he ran his own international legal and consulting practice, helping businesses, nonprofits and government agencies develop strategic relationships around the world. He also practiced law at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Washington, D.C. office.