What were you doing before the MCL?
Before the MCL, I was completing a double Bachelor's degree in Law (Hons) and Commerce (majoring in Economics) at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. During my undergraduate degrees, I was lucky enough to study overseas, including at the London School of Economics and at Monash's campus in Prato, Italy.
Alongside my undergraduate studies, I worked at various part-time jobs, including as a legal assistant at a family law practice. My favourite job however was working at the Australian Open Tennis Championships in numerous roles over 10 years.
As I was living in strict lockdown in Melbourne before the MCL due to the COVID pandemic, there were numerous logistical challenges that had to be overcome for me to take my place in the program. Thankfully, I was able to do so as I was very excited to take advantage of this amazing opportunity to study in Cambridge.
What were your impressions of the MCL?
The MCL provided the ideal capstone to my previous study. Building upon my generalist legal academic background, the MCL offered a practice-driven intellectual experience. Through the LLM and MCL electives, I discovered a passion for competition law and merger control, which embody the two disciplines I am most interested in: law and economics.
Despite this particular interest, I also thoroughly enjoyed studying a range of subjects under the broad umbrella of Corporate Law, such as Corporate Taxation and Law and the Digital Economy. I also appreciated the unique opportunity to learn about the UK legal market from a business perspective (The Law Firm as a Business). Finally, the Deals course, which involved analysing real-world transactions under the guidance of experienced City practitioners, challenged me to advance my academic legal background into practical commercial knowledge.
Overall, the MCL is a truly unique program which I found to be incredible rewarding, both personally professionally. The diverse backgrounds and the wide-ranging level of experience within the cohort ensured a stimulating class dynamic. Equally, the relatively small size of the classes ensured the teachers were able to lead interactive lessons and engage directly with each student.
I would recommend the MCL to anyone in my position who has recently completed their undergraduate studies and is seeking to develop deeper commercial and practical legal knowledge before commencing a career in the law.
What are your post-MCL plans and have they changed due to taking the MCL?
I have decided to stay in the UK after the MCL and qualify as a solicitor. Accordingly, I accepted a training contract at Slaughter and May, commencing in 2024.
After graduation, I will be moving to London to work as a paralegal at Euclid Law (a boutique specialist competition law firm) whilst completing my requisite PGDL units at BPP Law School. I will then commence the City Consortium Solicitor Training Program in 2023 and sit the Solicitor Qualifying Exams before starting as a Trainee Solicitor at Slaughter and May.
