An enriching experience

Elisa Gómez Rodrigues de Araújo, a student of the double degree Degree in International Relations and Law has spent part of her summer in Geneva (Switzerland). There she has worked at the headquarters of CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear research . 

"I have been doing research on legal issues, specifically on the freedom of expression of international civil servants (scope, limits, application to CERN...) I have also been following the jurisprudence of the ILO Administrative Tribunal in cases relevant to CERN. And finally, essay for legal documents and contracts, as needed by Legal Services", he explains. 

During her internship, Elisa says that she has been able to apply the concepts learned in the International Relations and Law classrooms and highlights the fact that working in an international organization has allowed her to meet people from different countries and cultures. 

Elisa is one of the 143 students from School who have completed internships this summer in professional firms, companies, consulting firms, organizations and national and international institutions. Most of them are young people who have had their first professional experience. "An enriching experience", they say, which has helped them to put on internship what they have learned in the classroom, to get to know new professional fields and to clear up doubts about their future career. 

Patricia Blanco Elías, a student of the Anglo-American Law Program and member of the Honors Program, had the opportunity to work in two different areas, but which required her to use the same skills: the law firm Uría Menéndez, at its headquarters in Bilbao, and the Headquarters of the Spanish Army, in Madrid. "Both internships have required me to apply my legal knowledge and others that are not directly studied in the classroom: skills in subject to search for jurisprudence and doctrine," he says. 

"Summer internships help us get to know the world so that we can make the most appropriate decision. In my opinion, choosing what to do once you are a lawyer is almost as difficult a decision as choosing degree program", he continues. "That's why I think that internships not only teach, in our case, law, but also provide another subject of knowledge, not theoretical, but experimental: that of discovering what the different and very diverse job opportunities offered by the degree program law school consist of," he adds.  

José Luis Ballesta Pérez, who is graduating this year from the double degree Degree in International Relations and Law, has spent the summer in Rome. In June he began his internship at the international organization UNIDROIT, which ended on August 30 and that he got thanks to the scholarship Erasmus+. José Luis highlights the advantages of living the experience of working in another country, both at a professional level and staff. "At a professional level, among other issues, work in English. This allows me to obtain knowledge of legal vocabulary in English language that could be of great use financial aid, I am sure, in my future degree program. At the staff level, the fact of meeting people in academic situations very similar to yours but who come from other cultures and personal circumstances so varied, I feel that it makes me grow as a person and "has opened my mind", he assures. 

Approach to the professional world

From the Internship Service and employment of the School Law School, the internships managed with organizations and institutions that provide students with an international experience stand out. Among others, the Organization of American States, Dentons Europe (Germany), the National Chamber of Industries of Bolivia, the headquarters of the Cervantes Institute in Lyon (France), the headquarters of the law firm Uría Ménendez in Brussels (Belgium) or Cuatrecasas in Lima (Peru) or the Embassy of Thailand in the Philippines.  

In addition, this year several agreements have been signed to promote the internship opportunities of students, including the agreement with the Navy, the European Organization for Nuclear research or the Organization of American States. 

Blanca Ojanguren García, who has started her fifth year of the double degree Degree in Law and International Relations, has done her internship this summer at the Communication office of the AJEMA (Admiral Chief of Staff of the Navy). 

Blanca has worked at the Headquarters of the Navy in Madrid, in the section of protocol and her role has been to know the General Order of State Precedences and the course and organization of military events.

"During my stay I prepared the submission of the Royal Dispatches of employment to the new NCOs of the Navy, in San Fernando, as well as the submission of Royal Dispatches to the new Officers at the Escuela Naval Militar de Marín. In addition, in July our AJEMA received the AJEMA of Turkey and I had the opportunity to meet him and even accompany him, together with his cabinet. Another week we were preparing the visit of the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso", says Blanca, who is a member of the Security and Defense Club of the University.

Nathalia Lozano Murphy has been working for the Organization of American States remotely, specifically at committee Inter-American Counterterrorism (CICTE) in the Cybersecurity program in Washington DC. Her work has been providing logistical support to any of the sub-teams within the program.

"Despite not being physically in Washington DC, the program has facilitated communication and networking among the different fellows. I have met colleagues from all over Latin America and have received valuable advice for my future career from professionals who are already working on their master's degree or even their doctorate," he adds.

After this internship, Nathalia says she has discovered other professional fields to focus her future on. "The area cybersecurity was not my priority and yet I have realized that it is very much related to international law and International Relations," she assures.