Valeria is a Bachelor of Laws student from Costa Rica who started her degree at the IEU Segovia campus. She decided to study law in order to solve a variety of conflicts, and is currently in her fourth year, ready to graduate in July. Learn more about Valeria’s experience at IEU:
About Her
What are your hobbies and interests?
I love reading novels and cooking pastries and desserts. I have also been a mentor for two years and have really enjoyed that experience as well!
What are your aspirations after graduation?
After graduation, I want to continue my studies at IE with the bilingual double masters in Abogacía y Asesoría Jurídica de Empresas. After that I will pass the bar, become a specialized lawyer, and I hope to work at a law firm or a company’s legal department.
About her experience at IEU
Why did you choose IEU?
I chose IE because it was the only school where I was able to study law in English from a comparative perspective. Because of the culture and language in Spain, coming here wasn’t drastically different from Costa Rica.
What’s the most valuable aspect of IEU for you?
I like that IEU has a different approach; I like the fact that our learning is more focused on the practical. I like that IE aims to create a multicultural society. The community is also very open-minded; students are allowed to express their opinions, even if they are different from their professors’.
Which opportunities have you taken advantage of during your time at IEU?
During my time at IEU, I have been involved in Moot Madrid (in class and in the competition); I participated in an Innovation Technology & Law workshop for Law Without Walls (LWOW); I completed an internship at Abogados del Estado, did shadowing at Cuatrecasas, participated in the IE Talent Forum, and in Moot Human Rights. All of these have been great opportunities for learning and professional development at IEU.
What will you take away from your time at IEU?
Some key takeaways from my time at IEU have been to learn in a different way, to have a more hands-on, practical approach to solving problems, and to not be afraid to speak up. I learned these things through the various law firm visits and shadowing we did, exposure and practice in moot courts, through workshops and seminars, and from my great professors.
What is the most valuable thing you have learned from a professor about your future career path?
I have had great professors. They have given me great insights into the field and taught me a lot on a variety of different subjects. Some of the most remarkable teachers have been Dámaso Riaño, who guided me through Moot Madrid; Erika Pagano, who taught a workshop on Innovation, Technology and Law; Javier Gilsanz, in Litigation II; María Eugenia de la Cera in Labor Law; Francisco de Elizalde in Contracts and Property Law; and Carlos Pallero in Law Unplugged II.
