LLM in European Law

Enik Pogace, Albania

LLM in European Law

Enik Pogace, European Commission, Albania

Before joining Queen Mary, University of London I was working at the Ministry of Justice of Albania in the field of approximation of national law with the EU acquis. My job was quite demanding and involved various interesting legal initiatives that were related both to EU and national law.

Then I decided to further upgrade my academic and professional skills by completing an LLM degree in the field of EU law. My decision to study at Queen Mary, University of London was attributed to the fact that the degree is internationally recognised, and the University has an outstanding quality of education and besides it is based in London. What is more, Queen Mary has an excellent reputation in the area of EU law, with prominent professors that are authority in the field.
Queen Mary’s LLM program in EU law is a rare combination of practical, relevant knowledge sharpened by transferable skills as well as coupled with intellectual challenges which provided me with the right academic stimulation to go through highly informative lectures.

The lecturers at Queen Mary were excellent. They were really inspiring and the facilities at the University are just superb. The Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS) at Queen Mary, a leading institution of the University, was incredibly good, providing the resources I needed to do all the research for my course. The Centre is relatively small compared to other academic environments, which helps to create a friendly and informal academic atmosphere. Academics and researchers from many different backgrounds are present and are one of the striking features of conducting research, which can be carried out with considerable emphasis on teamwork and collaboration in this internationally flavoured institution.
At Queen Mary I have gained knowledge but also know-how to analyse and critique what I learned in my courses. There are recurrent opportunities to interact with fellow postgraduate and academic staffs which in my view represent a very helpful and up-to-date method of teaching.

London is a great place to study and an exciting place to live. Life is very fast and there is always something to do. The city is exciting and there are lots of places to visit for the day or weekend. Another good thing is the multicultural environment. Wherever you go you'll find people from different cultures and backgrounds. I enjoy this because I like learning and conversing with people from other countries and lifestyles. This city offers everything from a place to dance, to listen to pop, rock, jazz, enjoy an opera, or chill out in pubs and clubs, cafes and bars to international scale concert halls, rock festivals or gigs. You can have all of this while studying in this stunning city.
The university has a state-of-the-art campus where I used to live. Studying at a campus university in London, like Queen Mary’s, means a lot because there's a real community atmosphere here. Apart from several clubs and societies on campus, it is very close to the centre of the city, which meant that I could easily visit museums, contemporary art spaces and galleries, with collections and exhibitions from all over the world. London also has an incredibly vibrant theatre and performing arts heritage, maintaining both traditional plays and musicals but also new and alternative productions too.

The most valuable aspect of my EU course was the fact that it provided me with broad academic skills, which will enable me to practice if I choose so, but will in addition open me up to various other career opportunities. It will give me the opportunity to explore the international job market, and be able to interact in any social, cultural and work setting.
I've now moved back to Albania and I'm currently working for a European Commission project focused on many key areas of the justice system related to the EU integration processes. I was employed because my LLM degree meant that I had the necessary communication and academic skills to work in an international work environment.
Nevertheless, my future plans are to focus on a Ph.D. to specialise further in EU and integration processes. I hope to achieve the satisfaction of having obtained the competitive edge required when seeking further study opportunities by capitalising on my work experience and improving my professional and academic profile.

Enkelejda Koka, Albania

LLM in European Law 2008-2009

Before joining Queen Mary University I was working at a law firm in London dealing mostly with Extradition and Immigration cases. I have always been interested in European Law and its development. During my work experience I realised the importance United Kingdom authorities and courts placed on European law and Human Rights. One of the most important grounds for refusing an extradition case was to argue a breach of Human Rights and Fair Trial under the European Convention. This is when I decided that I had to learn more about European Law and Human rights to be able to succeed in practice.

I chose Queen Mary, University of London because of its reputation in the LLM programme and its wide choice of modules in all its topics. Not many Universities provide so many modules to choose for the LLM programme, especially in European Law which I was interested in. One of the things that I really loved about Queen Mary was that it cared about its students and made the course very flexible and giving us time to adjust to the premises and new environment. Before joining Queen Mary various friends of mine studying at a different University had to choose their modules before the term started and could not easily change their modules once they started the course. However, Queen Mary gives you the opportunity to go to as many classes as you like in the first two weeks to learn more about the class and the lecturer and then decide the three modules to take. The lecturers are very professional, experts in their field and most importantly very friendly and easily approachable.

Another thing that I loved about Queen Mary was its international environment. There were students coming from all over the world. I had the opportunity to learn about other cultures. This also made the lectures very interesting as we had the opportunity to hear from students coming from European Member States and see how the discussed issues in class really affected the Member states.

I have really enjoyed the LLM programme especially the fact that I decided to complete it in London. London is a multinational environment in which everyone is equally respected and no one feels discriminated against. There are many opportunities in London to socialise with friends and have nights out. One can go sightseeing in London and be amazed by its beauty.

After completing my Masters I can now return to Albania and contribute back by putting in practice the educational skills I have received from studying at Queen Mary. My inspiration is to work and contribute towards Albania integrating in Europe and in the same time voluntarily helping Human rights Non-Governmental Organisations in order to protect vulnerable people and helping towards making the Albanian authorities conscious of any Human Rights violations. Queen Mary has given me the opportunity to improve my professional skills and has equipped me academically with the diploma necessary to achieve my goals.

Giovanni Carotenuto, Italy

LLM in European Law 1996-97

"I decided to apply to Queen Mary, University of London a year after having graduated in law in Italy (whilst I was already living and working in London) mainly because of its well known Centre for Commercial Law Studies. In particular, I was keen on deepening my knowledge of EU competition/antitrust law and thought that no better place than Queen Mary would have helped me to gain a practical and useful insight of such field.

The time I spent there confirmed in full my initial choice: above all, I benefited from the excellent preparation and constant availability of professors and lecturers, who managed to create a pleasant and challenging atmosphere, as well as from a truly international environment made of students from all over the world, with the most different backgrounds and experiences. With some of my former LLM colleagues I actually developed friendships that will last for a lifetime.

At the end of my studies at Queen Mary, after having sat the final exams (the first ones of my career fully in writing!), I felt ready to pursue a career in the law. Upon my return, it came as no surprise that I received offers from the best international law firms in Italy. After having worked ten years for a first rank Italy-based law firm (and one-year secondment in New York), in June 2008 I joined Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe as Of Counsel, focusing on corporate and baking/finance regulatory matters. Nowadays, I strongly recommend to my trainees to take an LLM course at Queen Mary. Based on my own experience, they would treasure for life the practical skills and legal knowledge they gain during LLM studies at the College."