Each year, White & Case recognizes one IE University Law student for their exceptional work in their final Research thesis. The financial support and recognition of excellence from White & Case – one of the most highly-respected and leading law firms in the world – is incomparable; offering IE University students the chance to further their knowledge of the Law and to propel their professional career.
In 2017, Hanna Jelezovskaia from Belarus won the White & Case scholarship for her final research paper entitled ‘Human Dignity in Law and Bioethics: Regulating Human Enhancement’.
What was your final project about?
My thesis focused on the role of ‘human dignity’ in policy-making. More specifically, the work makes a case for human dignity as the optimal tool for legislating on emerging human enhancement technologies that threaten to encroach upon some of the most fundamental human rights.
How did your final project stand out from the others?
It’s a complex work that combines an analysis of human rights legislation and case law with legal philosophy. According to the feedback I received, the work stood out because of how it dealt with highly abstract legal notions, which is unusual in itself for a bachelor’s thesis, while also offering practical solutions to the pertinent issues faced by the legislators in the fields of biomedicine and biotechnologies
What were the project requirements in order to win the award?
We knew that the work would have to tackle current legal issues and provide novel answers to them. In other words, an award-winning thesis would have to be relevant and innovative. Beyond that, there were no specific requirements.
What advice would you give to future students interested in winning the White & Case award for the best LLB final?
Invest in quality. White & Case is a prestigious firm that wants to be associated with projects resulting from hard work and dedication. Therefore, thorough research is key when working on your thesis and it truly helps to select a subject matter you’re passionate about. It sounds cliché but working on something you’re interested in streamlines a process which is challenging and stressful enough as it is. I would also recommend taking your choice of supervisor very seriously. I was blessed with an incredible professor to assist me in the project, which I believe is one of the main reasons why I ultimately received the award. It was a truly collaborative effort.
