The IEU Law Society is a club that seeks to foster a community for law students. Bárbara Gómez, Paulina Godynyuk, Nieves Delgado, Ainhoa Busto, Teresa Artaza, Märit Thomasdotter and Gracia Pujadas, told us about their experiences in an interview.
What is the purpose of the club?
The club was created in the 2013/2014 academic year to promote interest in law among students from LLB and other diverse degrees. The idea was, and still is, to create a law community within IE providing students with contacts in the industry through various networking events and improving technical (and practical) skills, such as knowledge about current projects, changes in the law, legal trends and improving legal writing skills. These are only examples of the multiple tools and skills IEULS fosters through its various events, conferences, talks and seminars. –Gracia
What kinds of activities does the club coordinate?
Activities coordinated by the club include conferences with A-level lawyers and professionals; informative sessions and talks with practicing lawyers, HR recruiters, and former students; networking events; activities organized by Talent & Careers (career orientation sessions, mock interviews at law firms); visits to emblematic buildings (e.g. Congreso de los Diputados); seminars (contract drafting, legal writing skills); round tables, etc. –Gracia
What were some of the most relevant events coordinated by the club?
IEULS has attended the Warwick Congress, visited the Spanish Congreso de los Diputados and has organized a variety of conferences. The conferences have covered a wide range of topics, including: Privacy by Facebook’s Privacy and Public Policy Manager, Norberto Andrade (Menlo Park, CA); the consequences of Catalonian independence from an EU standpoint (+100 attendees); Law and technology, the reform of the French Civil Code with Professor Muriel Fabre Magnan (a professor at La Sorbonne, Paris); the consequences of Brexit, with lawyers Paul Hitchings and Carolina Fernández of Cuatrecasas, among others.
How has the Law Society helped you better prepare for your professional future?
Bárbara:
In the Law Society, we first come up with ideas to enrich the curriculum of Law students. This process of thinking creatively within the limits of what we can accomplish has taught me a great deal about initiative. Secondly, we organize and divide the work in order to make it happen. This step has taught me professional skills; I have learned how to properly communicate and carry out an event that is in line with the university’s expectations, and it has given me the organizational skills needed for planning and coordinating events.
Paulina:
In relation to my professional future, I am glad I had the opportunity to work with the Law Society. I am now prepared to deal with professionals in the legal field and I also have the ability to propose projects and then make them into a reality. Hopefully, these skills will be reflected in my future career.
Nieves:
Through the Law Society I have had the opportunity to speak with amazing and very inspiring legal professionals from different sectors. On top of this, managing my responsibilities within the society has helped me improve my time management and organizational skills, which will surely prove useful in my future career.
Gracia:
Leading the IEU Law Society has helped me in a considerable way since I have acquired many contacts (most speakers that we contacted for the events are actually practicing lawyers in the best law firms in Madrid and abroad), who have given me many tips and have also broadened my horizons in terms of career options after graduation. I have also acquired very useful skills that will certainly be of use in future internships and jobs, such as teamwork, leadership, communication, and organizational skills. This role has also made me a very flexible person -having to adapt quickly to all kinds of situations and react to problems that arose either before or during events- and a more proactive person.
Ainhoa:
While being involved in the IEU Law Society I have had the chance to meet legal professionals and organize events and seminars with legal content. I believe that all of that has helped me compliment my studies.
Teresa:
Being involved in the Legal Society has firstly enabled me to do a lot of networking and meet very interesting people, not only proactive students but also lawyers and professionals in the legal field that we invited for talks or workshops and that I can contact in the future for whatever I may need.
Secondly, it has taught me specific skills that will be useful for my future career in the legal field, such as leadership and communication skills and the ability to reason and solve problems.
