The Nexus Magazine - "Alumni Edition 2017" by Nexus Magazine

NEXUS

magazine

ALUMNI DIGEST 2017

ALUMNI SPECIAL EDITION

RUG

LLB

LLM

- CHRISTIAN SKRIVERVIK -

- C H R I S T I N A LY K K E S M I T S -

EDITOR'S NOTE

CORPORATE LAW, FINANCE & CAPITAL MARKET LAW

- JOCHEM DE KOK -

- HANNAH WIDEMANN -

EU COMPETITION LAW

EU ENVIRONMENTAL & ENERGY LAW

NEXUS MAGAZINE ALUMNI DIGEST 2017

GRAPHIC DESIGN & EDITING: CHRISTIAN SKRIVERVIK

DATE OF PUBLICATION: xx.xx.xxxx

COVER: CHRISTIAN SKRIVERVIK

- FRITZ SAMUEL BÖHM -

- JOHANNES LÖFSTRAND -

HUMAN RIGHTS & DEMOCRATIZATION

INVESTMENTS IN EMERGING MARKETS

- RUTGER METSCH -

INT. ARBITRATION & DISPUTE RESOLUTION

FOUNDER: GEMMA TORRAS VIVES SPECIAL THANKS TO: NATHALIE BIENFAIT

NEXUS STUDENT ASSOCIATION nexus@rug.nl nexusmagazine.law@gmail.com @TheNexusMagazine @Nexus_mag

00 - CHRISTIAN SKRIVERVIK -

EDITOR’S NOTE: DEAR READERS First of all, I am so glad to finally present the Alumni Edition of the Nexus Magazine. After being responsible for the “Life After Groningen” segment of the magazine from 2013-15, I figured that it would be a nice idea to revisit some of the alumni that have contributed to the magazine over the years. Especially since so many have been doing such interesting things after their initial contributions. In my opinion, it would be strange not to take advantage of this vast and diverse group of alumni that have graduated from the LLB and the various LLMs here at the RUG. Such an untapped resource! This time, the alumni were asked to provide some advice for current students and (soon-to-be-)graduates, focussing specifically on things they would have liked to know either during their studies, or right after. The idea was also to provide advice from a wide variety of fields so that as many students as possible can find information relevant to them and their interests. At this point, some of you may wonder who I am and why I am the one producing this edition. Put simply, I was Editor-in-Chief of the magazine in 2013/14, and was part of establishing the first Nexus Magazine Committee. As such, I have a (weirdly) emotional attachment to the magazine, and have thus been active in the committee and editorial team ever since. I graduated the LLB in 2015, and I am currently finishing up an LLM in Public International Law here at the RUG … which means that I am about to graduate!! The fact that my days left in Groningen are limited in number is leaving me with mixed feelings of excitement, apprehension, and nostalgia. Excited as it would seem 4

that I am following an LLB / LLM tradition by moving to Brussels this fall (hopefully I didn’t just jinx it); apprehensive since I have no idea what the future holds; and nostalgic because I have had such an amazing overall experience here in Groningen. But it is not always the places you go, but the people you meet, and I have met so many interesting, fabulous, and wonderful people along the way. Memories have been made, and somehow Groningen seems to attract such a fantastically diverse group of homo sapiens. However, after five years in this wondrous place, it is definitely time to move on and try something new. But the place will be sorely missed! I think that I can speak for most of us former and current students, when giving a massive shoutout to Kirsten and the others at the International Office. Personally, you have saved my butt more than once, and I would probably not be where I am today (on the verge of graduating!!) without your support, understanding, and sometimes creative solutions. Kirsten, it was your smileys that brought me here in the first place :) On that note, as put by the entertaining Tim Minchin, “[...] opinions are like arse-holes, in that everyone has one. There is great wisdom in this … but I would add that opinions differ significantly from arse-holes, in that yours should be constantly and thoroughly examined.” Something to consider, perhaps. Finally, I encourage everyone in the LLB, associated LLMs, and alumni to join the newly established Facebook Group - ALUMNI: RUG LLB / LLM (NEXUS)

- Enjoy!

SIT BACK. RELAX. AND ENJOY A GOOD READ - C. ALUMNI: RUG LLB / LLM (NEXUS)

01 - C H R I S T I N A LY K K E S M I T S -

INVEST IN FRIENDS

University College London & Oxford University

Corporate Law, Finance & Capital Markets Law

Gorrissen Federspiel - Assistant Attorney

Brussels - London - Copenhagen

“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare, is to lose oneself.” - Kierkegaard

LYKKE

I graduated the LLB in International and European Law in a year that seems a few lifetimes ago. Trying to fit everything that happened since onto a one-pager seems an onerous task. Yet, there must be substance, and I have to admit that I do not believe myself capable of offering life or career advice (at least until I turn 30, at which point I shall endeavour to write another piece!) Instead, I hope this brief and modest insight into the paths I chose following my LLB will help shed some light on the things I have treasured in my â&#x20AC;&#x153;Life after Groningenâ&#x20AC;?.

lykke@smits.dk

/in/christinalykkesmits

It always seems odd to be asked to contribute to an alumni section as it undoubtedly requires a great deal of self-reflection, inflated ego and artificial sweetener to make it all go down. Even more so, it requires me to lay out my achievements at the mere age of 27. Instead, I hope this piece will outline the simple lessons I have learned since leaving the earthly Utopia we all know as ‘Groningen’. Hopefully, it will offer you insight into the thoughts of someone who is often slightly lost, without a particular strategy or a straight-line CV but who has invested in an undervalued commodity. I hope you will manage to stick it out as I attempt to untangle the simple mind of a sailor. First (and only) lesson: the most undervalued commodity is not networking (as many hyped management consultants will try and convince you). I agree that the commodity has to do with people – but more precisely, the most undervalued commodity is a good friend. This odd social installation serves many purposes when in search of happiness and success. To me, friends have often made all the difference. Characteristic of my time in Groningen was that I would not have passed my exams without my friends (nor contracted a slightly damaged liver, I thank you all). Fact is, I would not have found my way to apply for a position with Morgan Stanley, nor dared to apply for universities I thought beyond my abilities without these people pushing me beyond my comfort zone. These being the same people who offered comfort and served as my absolute safety net when things did not go as expected. What characterises them all: we met in Nexus. The LLB and Nexus are unique in bringing together people who have uprooted themselves and left their homes and comfort zones in search of new pastures. When such people get together, a bit lost and lonely for the first week, it is possible to make lifelong friendships. To me, Nexus offered a platform to meet people – a bit like the party smokers who always make more friends because they are all outside asking for a lighter. In many ways, Nexus was my lighter…

ance matrices and finance at Oxford University before accepting a position in Copenhagen. One of the most important lessons I learned in this period, is the basic notion that flashy people pass with the speed of light, but humble, kind and clever people always provide a high return on (human) investment. Yet, after eight years abroad (and seven different country codes), I decided it was time to root myself again. So I went back to Denmark where I was fortunate to accept a position at Gorrissen Federspiel, a top-tier law firm, specialising in corporate law and capital markets law (yes, we are the dark side…). Once again, I find myself surrounded by talented, hard-working and interesting people. I do believe challenges come in many forms – marathons, pub crawls… But I have always aimed at challenging myself by surrounding myself with peers. This very notion is essential to my understanding of success. I believe in investing in friends who are more talented, kind and interesting than myself because they require me to grow and challenge myself. These people have taught me that hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard and equally important; that cooperating gives you better friends than competing. So all in all: invest in good people because they provide a safe space for exploring the world and challenging yourself. As Kierkegaard put it: ‘to dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare, is to lose oneself ’. That is my bit of advice. Test the waters and see where it takes you. But make sure you have some seriously great people on-board. Even the best sailors sometimes get themselves into deep waters, and I would prefer friends with life jackets over sailing alone...

So you might ask: well what has happened since you left this social Grunn hub of wonders? I went on to work in Brussels and then accepted a spot for a corporate LLM at UCL, followed by an intellectual marathon of covari-

02 - FRITZ SAMUEL BÖHM -

HUMAN RIGHTS J U S T F E LT R I G H T

Sciences Po - School of International Affairs

Human Rights Law & Democratization

Council of Europe - Project Officer

Strasbourg - Paris - San Remo - Latin America

“The famous lawyer’s answer “It always depends” is probably also the best answer to the question on how to start a career in international affairs.”

FRITZ

Fritz Samuel Böhm studied International and European Law and International Relations in Groningen and Buenos Aires, as well as Human Rights and Humanitarian Action in Paris. Following his graduation from RUG in 2012 he worked at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg (France), the International Institute for Humanitarian Law in San Remo (Italy), and as a researcher in cooperation with the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in Argentina and Colombia. He is currently a Project Officer at the Council of Europe where he works on the Congress Human Rights Action Plan, as well as the “Alliance of cities against violent extremism”.

boehm@mac.com

/in/fritz-samuel-boehm

Once I had come back from my exchange semester in Argentina and finished my LL.B thesis in spring 2012, I started to play with the idea of taking a gap year before starting my Masters. After some talks with former LL.B students, including Lisa Rudi and Johannes Löfstrand, I felt reaffirmed in my plan and so I applied for a couple of traineeships in the field of human rights and democratization. I decided to go for an offer from the Council of Europe, being the leading organization on the continent that works on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. With the support of a Leonardo da Vinci-scholarship I started a 5-month internship in autumn of that same year. The internship at the Council was a great opportunity to actually see how an international organization works. I was also able to grasp the dynamics of international politics, attend interesting hearings at the ECtHR, and, last but not least, meet great people with diverse experience in the field of human rights and international affairs. As a member of the monitoring committee of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, I was responsible for conducting research on the state of local democracy in the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, which receive a monitoring delegation every 5 years, verifying each state’s compliance with the core treaties of the Congress. Following my internship, I spontaneously bought a ticket to South-East Asia and left Europe for 3 months of backpacking. This turned out to be an experience; at least as inspiring as my time in Strasbourg. Once back in Europe, I started a second internship at the International Institute for Humanitarian Law in San Remo (Italy). Strategically situated at the border between France and Italy, the IIHL provides seminars and training for members of armed forces, diplomats, academics and NGO staff on a whole range of subjects including Refugee Law, Peacekeeping Operations and most notably, the Law of Armed Conflict. During my time at the Institute, I could not only deepen my knowledge in all those fascinating topics but I also had a chance to exchange with experts and professionals actually working in the field. Consequently, I decided to aim for a career in human rights. After a year of working (and traveling), I realized that the LL.B had given me a great legal background, allowing me to quickly adapt to new professional contexts. However, I

lacked knowledge of international relations, politics, and actually a lot of skills that I thought necessary for jobs in international affairs. My work had shown me that thorough understanding and skills in international relations are essential to make effective use of legal tools and push for change on the ground. Thus, I decided at the last moment not to accept an offer for a master’s in International Law at the Graduate Institute in Geneva but rather went to Paris and started an M.A. in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action at Sciences Po Paris. Sciences Po Paris has traditionally been forming French diplomats and civil servants by following an approach that is rather different from a traditional master’s degree in international affairs. Sciences Po’s Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) offers 8 master programs that correspond to the major job fields within the sphere of international affairs. The focus is aimed at developing competitive job profiles, while simultaneously allowing students to choose thematic and regional concentrations together with languages and specific “skills-courses”. My decision of completing an international affairs master, even if it had a strong focus on human rights, on top of a legal degree was relatively unusual but turned out to be exactly what I needed at the time. In fact, the master was nearly entirely taught by professionals, ranging from senior UN staff to emergency researchers at Human Rights Watch or veteran diplomats, and allowed me to cover a broad range of subjects and acquire vital skills that I consider essential for understanding the context within which human rights work takes place. I had a great time studying human rights, but also strictly political science subjects, by using the legal and rather analytical approach learned in Groningen. At the same time, being part of Sciences Po’s student community and living in Paris was, of course, a really inspiring experience that was worth the occasional headache caused by the city’s rent prices and French administration. During my third semester, I left Paris so as to write my master thesis on victims’ rights during transitional justice processes in Latin America, covering two field studies in Argentina and Colombia. Working in cooperation with the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), I spent half a year in Latin America, where I researched and interviewed several NGOs within the field of human rights and other stakeholders on the

ground. This experience was unique in terms of witnessing human rights activism first-hand and seeing what it means to work directly with stakeholders - all in a very challenging environment. Instead of going back to Paris and finishing my last semester, I accepted an offer for a contract at the Council of Europe and worked for nearly a year as Program Officer at the Monitoring committee of the Congress/ Council of Europe. In addition to monitoring countries’ compliance with the core conventions on local democracy, I also contributed to the development of my organization’s strategy on human rights at the local level, focusing on the promotion of human rights at city-level in the Council of Europe’s 47 member states. Visiting member states and seeing the role that international conventions play, organizing human rights training initiatives for local decision makers and managing projects, were all fantastic experiences that I took with me to Paris, where I finished my master’s the following spring. Coming back to university after having worked in different positions for a considerable amount time was great, as I profited much more than I would have otherwise from the courses during my last semester at Sciences Po. Upon graduation, I returned to Strasbourg, where I now work

as Project Officer on the Congress Human Rights Action Plan of the Council of Europe as well as on de-radicalization projects at the local level. Looking back, I consider the LLB, in combination with a relevant master’s degree, to be a great basis for a career in international organizations and I really do encourage everyone to go for the rather unconventional, non-lawyer path after graduation. Honestly, completing the requirements for passing the national bar exam is a very wise decision, which can also be a plus for certain positions in international affairs and often a must for jobs at international tribunals. However, the years spent studying for the bar are the years that others spend on learning exotic languages, interning at great organizations, making contacts or working in the field…. The famous lawyer’s answer “It always depends” is probably also the best answer to the question on how to start a career in international affairs. Try to find out what it is that you really want to do (and what not…!) once you sit down at your desk in the morning, take every opportunity you get and go for what you feel is right for you and the career you want have, no matter what others will tell you!

TIPS. I am myself far from being a veteran in this field, yet experience has shown me that there is not one typical career path. In fact, often people with the most unusual CVs are among the best performing (and most interesting) staff members at IOs. In response to Nexus’ request, I am however happy to share some concrete advice I can give to anyone interested in this professional domain:

ϖ 1. Take a gap year! Not only is it a great experi-

ence that allows you to really find out what you want to do professionally (and which master’s to choose) it also permits you to gain your first years of work experience, which are essential for getting a job in this field. It is extremely difficult to get a real contract in an IO with less than 2-3 years of professional experience (relating to the field you apply for)!

ϖ 2. Choose your internship well and try to get

in touch with people that have already worked in the organization you are applying to (preferably as interns) so as to find out if the experience is worth it! If you go for an international organization you may also want to check whether there is a chance to get a consultant-contract/temporary position on basis of your network and experiences made in the house and/or if they regularly recruit at entry-level positions (max. 3 years of work exp.). Whereas IOM and considerable UN agencies do so, others, such as the Council of Europe or OSCE, hardly ever recruit staff at this level.

ϖ 3. Try to get field positions as soon as possible!

It is not only an experience that will change your life and the way you work, it is probably also one of the best things you can actually do for your career in this field. For internships, UNICEF and ACTED are known for being some of the few humanitarian organizations that actually send interns into the field. United Nation Youth Volunteers (UNV) can also be an interesting option.

ϖ 4. Really consider all factors when deciding on

a career in Human Rights, humanitarian aid or as an international civil servant! Beyond doubt, it is a fantastic, highly fulfilling experience for many. Especially when considering that working in an international organization provides benefits and salaries that often allow you to have a very comfortable lifestyle, no matter where you are posted. However, depending on what you do, working in this field can often require high mobility/rotation, job insecurity, working in very dangerous and difficult areas and a decision to live a private life that goes with this career.

ϖ 5.

Job security in humanitarian affairs is not comparable to the private sector! Especially starting to work in an international organization is, unfortunately much less secure than any other sector, and national labor laws and practices usually do not apply. You usually start with monthly temporary/consultant contracts, which are often prolonged (or not...) on a last minute basis. For more permanent positions, you will usually have to go through lengthy and highly competitive recruitment procedures that can take anything from 200-300 days from the day the job was posted to the moment of appointment.

ϖ 6.

Develop your own professional profile by looking as early as possible at job postings and scanning what kind of background is desired for positions that interest you. In that sense, try to keep your profile open and be able to prove your experiences relating to some of the key skills, commonly demanded in IOs, including for example project management, policy analysis, external relations, drafting skills, communication etc. When choosing to learn languages focus on UN-languages: French (at least passive) is often a must, whereas Russian and especially Arabic are a great plus. Thematic and regional specializations are good to have. Most importantly, specialize on topics and regions that really interest you (and not just the ones that are trendy…) and acquire the skills and languages that will allow you to work on those issues on the ground.

03 - JOHANNES LÖFSTRAND -

REWIND L ond on S cho ol of E c on o m i cs Investm en ts i n E m erg i n g M a rk ets Analyst

L ond on - Si n g a p ore - C a pe Tow n

“The inconvenient truth is that none of us are special (although lawyers always believe they are, myself included).”

JOHANNES

I graduated from the LLB programme in 2011 with a mixed feeling of pride, excitement, and anxiety. My three years at the RUG had been characterised by wonderful friendships, intense work with establishing Nexus and stressful exam-preparations. But â&#x20AC;&#x201C;as most students areâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; I was clueless of what I wanted, should or even could do with my professional life.

johannes.loefstrand@gmail.com

johannesl__

Luckily, I was admitted to the LLM programme at the London School of Economics, which was surprising considering my relatively unassuming grades and lack of work experience. Nevertheless, the skills I gained while being the chairman of Nexus certainly helped (writing application letters, networking, etc.). Although LSE was interesting from an academic perspective, it was not particularly useful from a career development point of view. Virtually all of the LLM students had worked for a few years, which meant that they could apprehend and practically apply what we studied. Meanwhile, I had never even been an intern and therefore lacked a proper foundation. Admittedly, despite the fact that my grades were good, it was a strategic blunder to enroll in the programme without work experience. After graduation, I was offered a position as a legal research assistant at the Codification Division at the UN in New York. However, four years of studies and conversations with UN employees had made me cynical towards most of the large IGOs. It also gradually dawned on me that I should probably not seek a career in law as my interests lay elsewhere. Ultimately, I declined the offer and started from scratch by interning at a small financial services firm in London. Paradoxically, I discovered that it sometimes takes a leap of faith to find the perfect path. Notwithstanding that the role didn’t suit me, I understood what type of career that I wanted to pursue: investments in emerging markets. It combines my interests in the developing world, and the complex dynamics of economics, politics and financial markets, as well as the competitive elements of investing. The barriers to realising my newfound ambition seemed insurmountable. First, I had never studied accountancy or finance. Secondly, I didn’t know anyone who worked in the industry. Thirdly, the job market was dead in 2012 – there were thousands of applicants for each position that was listed. Lastly, my family thought that I was a nutcase for even contemplating that this was an opportunity worth chasing after having invested so much time and money in legal studies. Yet again, my experiences from Nexus guided me. I knew that nearly anything is possible if you work relentlessly and build up the right network. Subsequently, I began studying books on investment methodologies and contacted people in LSE’s vast alumni database.

Nearly six months passed without any firms showing the slightest interest. It was extremely depressing and difficult to make ends meet, but I continued applying for jobs. Fortunately, my naivety and hard work paid off as I suddenly received two unbelievable offers. At the beginning of 2013, I started working for one of the world’s best-performing investment funds. The company focusses on the rise of the consumer class in emerging economies and makes socially responsible investments. I spent three intriguing years with the company in Singapore and Cape Town. More recently, a large investment firm hired me, principally because I wanted a new challenge and return to London. The experience has so far been fascinating, and I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have several mentors who have taken me under their wing at this early stage in my career. In the course of my responsibilities, I have visited hundreds of CEOs, ministers, central bank govenours, journalists and industry experts in over 40 different countries on all continents (except Antarctica). Looking back, it was not what I learned in factual terms in Groningen that put me on this path. Instead, it was the abstract skills that I learned in Nexus and the LLB programme which made me more ambitious, stubborn and structured. Most pertinently, I discovered the importance of analysing mistakes and identifying opportunities. My advice to current students is to avoid repeating my mistakes, i.e. be proactive and strategic from the get-go. The inconvenient truth is that none of us are special (although lawyers always believe they are, myself included); in fact, hundreds of thousands of brilliant students graduate from good universities each year. Therefore, in order for a student to get a head-start with finding an ideal job, she/he needs 1) a clear strategy; 2) advice from alumni/professionals; 3) an ego that can stomach dozens of rejections; and 4) a fair amount of luck (…so cast the net as wide as you can!). I would finally like to express gratitude to all my friends from the Nexus-years. Writing this letter brought many great memories and, admittedly, made me a bit nostalgic. There is no doubt that I would not be who I am today had it not been for my truly transformative and wonderful time Groningen – all thanks to my fellow alumni and incredible university staff.

04 - JOCHEM DE KOK -

ADVOCAAT-STAGIAIR

University of Cambridge & Univeristy of Groningen

EU Competition Law & Reaserch

Allen & Overy - Associate / Advocaat-Stagiair

Amsterdam - Brussels - Cambridge

“For anyone with an interest in European affairs, wishing to gain a valuable experience in a great international environment, I would highly recommend the Blue Book Traineeship.”

JOCHEM

Jochem de Kok is an associate at Allen & Overy in Amsterdam. He graduated from the LLB in International and European Law, and the Research LLM at the University of Groningen (both cum laude). He completed a second LLM at the University of Cambridge (first class honours) and worked as a trainee at the European Commission before commencing his career as a lawyer at Allen & Overy.

jochem.dekok@allenovery.com

/in/jochemdekok

It is an honor to contribute to the latest edition of Nexus Magazine. I remember quite well reading these autobiographies during my study, providing interesting insights into various academic and professional career paths. With this article, I hope to provide you with an insiderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective of my student days in Cambridge, my time as a trainee at the European Commission and my current work as an associate at Allen & Overy in Amsterdam. My academic story begins in Groningen, where I decided to study the LLB in International and European Law. Like most readers of this Magazine, I wished to study an international subject, and because of my broad interest in law, economics, and politics, the LLB programme provided an excellent match. After returning from my exchange in the US, I decided to study Dutch law in order to be able to qualify as a lawyer. After graduating from the LLB, I decided to continue my studies in Groningen with the LLM in Legal Research, after which I attended the University of Cambridge. Cambridge is a wonderful place to study, but perhaps even more important, it is a perfect place to reflect on life. It is beautiful, calm, and it almost feels like time passes at a slower pace. Daily, there are various guest lectures by renowned academics, politicians, international judges and diplomats, and through your college, you get to know students from all disciplines. One particularly nice aspect of studying in Cambridge are the many-course dinners in beautiful old halls, for which you must wear formal dress and gown. The student life in Cambridge is designed to provide you with a broader education than following lectures and taking exams. In addition to going through a long literature list, education in Cambridge means having dinners, discussing politics, going to the theater, playing sports and trying to understand your housemateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PhD research in astrophysics. These diverse experiences aim to help students become well-rounded individuals, educated in more than one aspect of academics (and life more generally). My interest in European law (and competition law in particular) led me to the European Commission, DG Competition. The traineeship lasts five months, which is short, but long enough to get fully acquainted with the work of the unit and to get a good understanding of the working ways of the Commission more broadly. During

my time at the State Aid Strategy unit, I was fully involved in the DGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work on the bilateral and multilateral partnerships between the Commission and the Member States, which aim to help the Member States in ensuring compliance with the State aid rules. Brussels is a fun place to be, and because most trainees are mainly doing the traineeship as a stepping stone for their future career, the traineeship feels a bit like an Erasmus programme. For anyone with an interest in European affairs, wishing to gain a valuable experience in a great international environment, I would highly recommend the Blue Book Traineeship. I recently started as an associate (advocaat-stagiair) at the Competition & Regulatory Practice at Allen & Overy in Amsterdam. The work is incredibly dynamic, versatile and intellectually challenging. The Competition & Regulatory practice deals with a vast array of topics, including merger control filings, antitrust regulation, State aid law and EU and national telecommunication and energy regulation. For instance, an important part of my work concerns large international mergers and acquisitions that require approval from competition authorities. The process of attaining regulatory approval requires in-depth legal research, regular contact with the client, discussions with the competition authorities, and liaising with various local counsels across the world. Considering the international scope of many transactions, approval must often be provided as well by competition authorities in the Americas, Asia or Africa. At the same time, I am also involved in a high-profile litigation procedure against a regulatory authority and a compliance audit at a large international client. Allen & Overy consists of a diverse but cohesive group of people who work closely together to get the best out of themselves and each other to find innovative and pragmatic solutions for our clients, creating opportunities out of every challenge. In addition to working on great cases, there is time for jokes, chats, and a beer at the Friday after-work drinks. If you have any questions about my experiences, or if you are interested in applying for a traineeship (i.e. internship) or an associate position at Allen & Overy, please feel free to contact me, and I would be happy to answer any questions.

05 - HANNAH WIDEMANN -

GREETINGS FROM “THE BUBBLE”

College of Europe & University of Groningen

EU Environmental & Energy Law

Legal Consultant

Brussels - Bruges - Gambia

“Once I actually started working in a law firm, I realized: I do really, really like it - especially litigation! (even though its nothing like “Suits“)”

HANNAH

NIENKE

HANNAH

I currently work in a law firm in Brussel. The other day I took the elevator at the office and randomly ran into another Nexus/LLBer who now works in the same building. Another really close friend from Nexus lives in the street next to mine and around every six months, new people from Groningen arrive for internships and jobs. Many of us stay afterward (it must be the chocolate and the beer undoubtedly). So Nexus and the LLB are really everywhere now!

h.widemann@gmail.com

/in/hannahwidemann

Looking back at the last part I wrote for the Nexus Magazine, a lot changed, but my interests are still EU law, Energy, and the Environment - as well as patatje oorlog. During my internship with the UNDP in the Gambia, I actually realized that I wanted to work within EU law in the future and applied to the College of Europe. After my internship, I returned to Brussels hoping to find an internship/job. That turned out to not be the easiest of tasks. I did not manage to find anything somewhat within my interests which would allow me to live a decent life as well. After two months of unsuccessful applications in Brussels, I finally got accepted to the College with a scholarship by Germany and decided to go WOOF-ing (Working on organic farms - amazingly inexpensive way to travel and explore new countries / languages / ways of live) to improve my French. The year at the College was amazing. The teachers are so-called ‘flying staff ’ which means that they are mostly practitioners in either the institutions or the private sector, as well as professors of other Universities; half of the classes of the law program were in French and the other half in English. Living in Bruges felt like living at Hogwarts, and even though it can feel claustrophobic at times, you truly bond with the people you study, eat, live and party with - so that after the College you have not only incredible friends but also a great network. Now, I work with EU Environmental and Life Science law, mostly focusing on Chemicals. I am also in the process to qualifying as a lawyer in Belgium, meaning after work I have to attend courses on Belgium Constitutional law, Company law, Criminal law etc. Part of the beauty of Nexus and the LLB is that we are all very diverse in our interests. Whilst I happily enjoying living in the EU bubble, close friends of mine are pursuing their interests and dreams in international (humanitarian) law all around the world, which thus makes it difficult to provide any general advice.

There are some thoughts that I would like to share with you, things I would have been happy to know while I was doing the LLB, that seems to concern many of us later on - unrelated which fields we work in:

ϖ 1. Think about whether you want to qualify as

a lawyer. I always assumed I did not want to qualify because the classes did not sound terribly interesting and I thought that I would not want to work in a law firm or be involved in litigation anyway. I assumed wrong because once actually started working in a law firm, I realized: I do really, really like it - especially litigation! (even though its nothing like “Suits“). I am happy with the massive “detour“ I am currently taking to become a lawyer and wouldn’t want to miss any of the experiences I made along the way. But at times it can be very frustrating (attending first year classes after work) so that I wish I would have given “civil effect“ or qualifying in general a more serious consideration during my time in Groningen and in my case of doubt, tried it during a summer internship.

ϖ 2. Don’t worry too much! I remember my LLB

days as a lot of fun but also a lot of worries: Will I ever pass this (ILLS!) exam? Will I ever find a job/internship? What city/country/continent do I want to live in? What are my interests? Looking back just a few years later, I can say that everything will work out - eventually ;) Of course, there will be fallbacks (not finding an internship) and frustrations (realizing you actually want to be a qualified lawyer) but it will all work out somehow and if you realize you’re on the wrong track - you can always change directions. So enjoy Febo burgers after midnight, weekends on Schier, the funny drinks at Chupitos and cycling in the pouring rain whilst they last. Feel free to get in touch by Facebook or Linkedin if you have any questions or happen to be in Brussels.

Instead, here is my personal advice: Try to learn (a bit of) Dutch. If only because words like “bagagedrager“, “helaas pindakaas“ and “g**verdomme“ are simply fun to pronounce!

06 - RUTGER METSCH -

A R B I T R AT I O N

Queen Mary University of London

International Arbitration & Dispute Resolution

Associate Lecturer

London - Hong Kong

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was also planning on going to Kuala Lumpur next for another internship. As usual, things turned out quite differently.â&#x20AC;?

RUTGER

I wrote my last piece for the Nexus Magazine in a 6 square meters room in Hong Kong. I am writing this one in a 10 square meters room in London. I progressed 4 square meters over two years. Quite happy with that.

r.metsch@qmul.ac.uk

/in/rutgermetsch

A lot has changed since the Hong Kong days. In the previous contribution. I wrote superhero-style about how Nexus is essentially my origin story. I am still as modest as I was back then. I had just finished an LLM in Comparative and International Dispute Resolution (i.e. international arbitration) and was interning at a global law firm. I was also planning on going to Kuala Lumpur next for another internship. As usual, things turned out quite differently. A few months after the piece, I moved back to the Netherlands instead where I successfully applied for a research position at my (second) alma mater - the School of International Arbitration (SIA) at Queen Mary University of London. At SIA I conducted a large-scale empirical survey into international arbitration. It is a good read if you are interested in arbitration (or if you suffer from insomnia). The project was an amazing experience. I had to analyze 763 completed questionnaires and conducted 105 personal interviews with practitioners in the field. Being fairly new to the field myself, you can imagine how stimulating it was to be able to pick the brain of these experienced professionals. Perhaps the most exciting part of working at SIA was being offered the opportunity to teach a module in the LLM programme: Strategic Decision Making for Lawyers. The module focuses on basic probabilistic modeling in disputes settings, game theory, and law & psychology. Redesigning and teaching the module has been one of the most challenging and fun experiences of my life. Through the publication and the teaching, doors have opened to opportunities I did not expect, such as speaking at conferences, giving corporate trainings, and meeting interesting people from all over the world. I have accepted a training contract with a global law firm in the City and am looking forward to whatever is coming next. Part of the instruction for this piece is that it should contain some advice. I find this difficult but will give it a try. My first tip is to be careful to put a correct value on advice. Use it to broaden your view of which opportunities are out there, but realize that at this stage the alumni’s tips are limited in their application. I am quite sure most of the alumni would agree with me. I absolutely love the ‘Life after Groningen’ section because it updates me on the lives of people I would like to be in touch with more

and whose future I care about. I am extremely impressed with what our classmates have achieved and happy that many of us are doing well. However, we are all in our mid-to-late-twenties and are ourselves hardly grown-ups who are still facing crossroads. I love a good humblebrag as much as the next guy, but the memoirs of a twentysomething-year-old are similar to watching the opening credit of a movie, liking it, and concluding that it must be a good movie. Avatar should have cured us all of that. Secondly, I think it is important to keep an open mind about your future. I am only 26 years old, always thought I would work in diplomacy or business in the Netherlands, but am now in arbitration and on my way to qualify in the UK. And I love every minute of it. Who knows what’s next? Working with people I look up to has taught me that there is no ‘conventional’ path. Their lives seem more like a series of coincidental events paired with hard work and the ability to spot opportunities wherever they may arise. My point is that sometimes you just have to ride it out and see where you end. But then again, see above: perhaps you should not take my advice. My third point is of a practical nature. The LLB programme is excellent and I believe it teaches us very important skills. In my experience, however, being a lawyer who is not qualified in any jurisdiction limits your options. I underestimated this effect and wish I would have taken steps towards qualification whilst completing the LLB programme. The following final points are also of a practical nature: pick an exchange university with a lenient grading system as it can greatly influence your GPA; avoid De Blauwe Engel after 3am; join Nexus (!); be nice to the amazing people at the International Office (you will realise and value how much they do for us after you graduate); and, really, avoid De Blauwe Engel after 3am. Nexus is all about networking. Please feel free to contact me on Facebook or LinkedIn if there is ever anything I can help you with. .

JOIN THE ALUMNI NETWORK

ALUMNI: RUG LLB / LLM (NEXUS)

A special final thank you to the alumni for their patience with me - C.

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