On 29 November 2022, the CNIT - La Défense ESSEC Business School campus hosted the Law Forum. The event was organised by the Career Services, in conjunction with Hugo Girard, Academic Co-Director of the International Relations Law and Management Master (DAIM) programme. The Forum, which attracted prestigious law firms such as Clifford Chance and White & Case, was an opportunity for students from both the DAIM and Law programmes to showcase their achievements. Also on hand, representing legal departments, was the AFJE (French Association of Corporate Lawyers).
Law Forum: a wealth of interesting exchanges and networking opportunities
22.2.2023
The Forum kicked of with an event organised by Lex ESSEC, an ESSEC student legal association founded by law students. The association led a round table on the subject: “The place of women in the legal professions”. Three distinguished speakers were on hand to debate the issue: Naïma Moutchou (Vice-President of the French National Assembly and lawyer by profession); Valérie Duez-Ruff (lawyer and founder of the association Moms à la barre) and Marjorie Scarwell (lawyer and creator of the podcast Le droit mène à tout). Their message to students was clear: “Don’t be afraid and don’t impose any limits on yourselves!”
The president of the ESSEC Law club was also present to talk with students.
The link with the business world is an important aspect of both Law and the DAIM Master programmes. DAIM Master students thus have the opportunity to do an internship of 4 to 6 months or an apprenticeship of 12 to 15 months. This strong connection to business is a key incentive for certain students: “I came to the Law Forum to find out about internships in connection with the process of passing the Bar,” said one student, Geoffroy. “It was an opportunity to meet with firms that I was interested in. It is a much easier way to apply for jobs and to submit CVs.”
International exchanges are also important for ESSEC law students. Consulting firms and multinationals are on the lookout for lawyers who have a thorough understanding of the business world as well as a good command of English, the primary language of business. Constance Farret Dos Santos, Contract Manager at Accenture, attended as a representative of King's College, London. King’s College offers a dual degree, along with the DAIM Master: “People have a lot of questions about this Master of Laws degree, particularly in terms of its work-study dimension or how it fits in with pursuing a legal career. In terms of the Master of Laws degree, there is a language component, which is a significant challenge.”
Lastly, students are made more aware of a variety of key issues, as Alexandra Gattino Pollicott, Academic Director of the DAIM Master’s degree, explained: “DAIM Master students benefit from the fact that their programme is based on ESSEC’s strategic priorities.”
These strategic priorities are focused on the following topics:
-
Climate change and related ethical and environmental challenges are addressed by means of the “World Climate Day”, business ethics training and other initiatives. Students are also educated on how to manage their carbon footprint in preparation for their period of study abroad.
-
The skills needed to carry out projects with an entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial approach, fostered by means of a seminar on innovation and an introduction to entrepreneurship conducted by Professor Jean-François Gallouin. This aspect is also addressed through a series of projects that are the basis of a “social commitment grade” introduced this year, which encourages students to work together on projects and to undertake practical initiatives.
-
The digital transition means that our students have access to several specialist courses and lectures dealing with artificial intelligence and personal data regulation (GDPR). They are also trained in the fundamentals of intellectual property law in the digital era, as well as taking part in the Digital Week Competition.
The Forum ended with a social gathering attended by all participants, once again resulting in numerous enriching exchanges between professionals and students. In the words of the DAIM Master students who took part in the event: “The Law Forum provided us with the opportunity to engage with industry professionals and build a valuable network of professional contacts for the future. It was also a unique opportunity to get feedback and valuable advice from experienced professionals.”
Many thanks to the companies, firms and institutions that attended: AFJE, Baker McKenzie, Bredin Prat, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Clifford Chance, Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier, Dentons, ESSEC Alumni / Club Droit, Gide, King's College, KPMG Société d'Avocats, Latham & Watkins, Linklaters, McDermott Will & Emery, Norton Rose Fulbright, Paul Hastings, PwC Société d'Avocats and White & Case.
More information on the Advanced Master’s Degree® in International Relations Law and Management.
