What was your motivation behind doing LL.M.? When
and why did you decide that you need to do masters?
At the LL.B. level, we only touched upon all the
main branches of law, learning only a little more when we took optional
subjects. I decidedly 5th year that I would pursue an LL.M., was not yet sure
when or where. However, following the herd mentality, I started working in a
corporate law firm, right after graduation. Halfway through the year, although
I liked the work atmosphere, loved my colleagues and superiors, I realized that
I cannot see myself doing this year after year. This was not my area of interest!
Then I started applying for LL.M.
How did you choose the university/ college? Where
else did you apply? How should one go about choosing an university?
I came across the course I am studying now, on the
website of the International Law Students Association (ILSA), while preparing
for the Jessup Moot in 5th year (ILSA organizes Jessup). This is not a
particular university/college, it is a programme organized jointly by the
Geneva University Law School and the Graduate Institute of International and Development
Studies, Geneva. I want to stress that I selected the course, not the School.
This is very important for anyone deciding on an LL.M. [for example, Harvard is
famous for its business law, and maybe some other kinds of law, but may not be
the best for all branches of law. Don't go to Harvard for the sake of Harvard,
as long as your other option is among the better ones].
The main reason for zeroing in on the course that I
did? The faculty! Recruitment chances are also a consideration.
I had also applied to Queen Mary's arbitration
programme (chose not to take it up) and Cambridge University (did not get a
call).
What are you studying now? Why did you decide to
take this particular subject? Any interesting details about the course worth
sharing?
I am studying the Masters in International Dispute
Settlement (MIDS). I selected this for the course structure and content. It is
one of a kind in the world (www.mids.ch). There
are so many interesting things, I don't know where to begin! Though the course
focuses on private and public international dispute settlement (why I
selected it in the first place), there are opportunities to take optional
courses from the regular courses offered at the graduate institute and Geneva
university law school, which means I can also take courses in substantive law
subjects. There are also many intensive courses offered at MIDS, over 2-3 days,
by the best in the profession. Tutorials are also an integral part of the
curriculum, not to forget conferences, site visits to international
institutions, etc. I could go on and on.
How is your experience so far? Tell us about the
faculty and facilities. Anything memorable that is stuck in your mind?
The Course directors (professors of our main
courses on dispute settlement), the staff all make us feel like part of a
family, with regular cocktail events which give us an opportunity to talk about
stuff outside class. The experience has been mind blowing! Everything is
memorable. Especially memorable were the public international law tutorials
because of our Tutor, who is now a professor at Geneva University, and I feel
really bad for future MIDS students, who will not have the opportunity to be
taught by him.
Facilities are great, giving us access to 2
libraries (Geneva Uni and Graduate Institute) as well as facilities coming with
them.
How's the Indian fraternity over there? Are there
many Indian students?
My class has only 33 students, with one other
Indian. There have been 2 Indians in every year of the programme, which
commenced in 2008. The graduate institute has many Indian students, in
economics, social sciences, development studies. I am not sure of Geneva
University.
How is the recruitment/ placement situation for
overseas students?
All students are overseas in my class - not a
single Swiss citizen. We get all the help possible from the career services of
the graduate institute. We keep getting information on internship and job
openings, vis email. Career services is always there to help us with any
questions we may have.
How is the academic schedule? Is there a lot of
academic work?
Because of the immense flexibility in courses we
can choose, in terms of optionally and intensives, and the conferences and
institution visits we go for, hardly anybody has the same schedule as another.
Schedules also vary from week to week. There is a LOT to read, a LOT. One week
(the worst), we had to read about a 1000 pages. Except for that week, readings
are in the vicinity of 500 pages, and are manageable if you manage your time
well. Moreover, if you like the reading material, which you should, since you
selected the courses, time should just fly. Classes are not just one-way
lectures with note-taking, they are full of interesting discussions, made even
more exciting with the presence of students from around 25 countries and
teachers of such vast experience.
What about accommodation?
Depends on how much money you have. Of course,
Geneva is among the most expensive cities in the world. Taking that into
consideration, accommodation offered by MIDS administration is pretty good.
Kitchens are provided, there is no concept of a "mess". Cooking is
ideal anyway - saves a lot of money!
Tell us about your classmates - is there a pre-dominantly
international crowd? What is the general age group of students?
I don't have a single Swiss classmate. The students
largely come from Europe, few from North and South America, and a decent number
from Asia. I don't have any classmates from Africa, but that is probably a
coincidence this year. I have met quite a few at the Graduate Institute, part
of other courses. Ages of my classmates ranges from 23 to 32 years. Many have
come for their second LL.M., some have come here in the middle of their
Ph.D.
Do you get time for any extra-curricular
activities?
No. Partly because there's too much to read, partly
because a lot of the Geneva University activities requires a good knowledge of
French!
How does one go about scholarships? Does the
institute offer any scholarship?
MIDS offers a few scholarships every year (from an
external sponsor). As far as I understand, they are merit-cum-need based. There
are also scholarships offered by the Swiss government for Indian students, but
the deadline generally expires before the MIDS offer letter arrives.
What are your future plans? Going forward, how do
you expect this experience to influence your career?
My future plans are related to public international
law. No further comments on that! Too early to say anything concrete.
The MIDS is perfect for the faculty there, the
opportunities one gets for contact-building, the variety of job opportunities
in a single city! I strongly recommend it.
Great!
ReplyDeleteVery informative..