By Ana Blatnik, NYU Abu Dhabi Class of 2022
As cliche as it sounds, I have always wanted to pursue a career in law. When I came to NYU Abu Dhabi, I had planned on majoring within the Arts & Humanities division and to pursue Legal Studies as a minor.
Luckily for me, within the first few months of my first year, Legal Studies became a major. I attended a “London Track” information session where professors explained that it was possible to focus on the common law of England & Wales through the program. The fact that I can get a taste for law classes to qualify within the field in the UK was a huge plus for me.
What I Like About Legal Studies
There are not many programs where you can get exposed to a great variety of legal systems around the world as usually law programs are very country specific.
Favorite Course Highlights
I took Contracts as well as Legal Systems & Method at the same time during my second year. Doing two seven-week courses at the same time along with other courses is not easy, but Visiting Professor of Law Peter Goodrich was absolutely amazing at making those long hours entertaining and highly educational. He has such an effective way of pushing me out of my comfort zone, making the class defend our points and promote thinking on our feet.
As Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility course is a requirement, I did not think much of it beforehand. But it has been such a pleasure having an amazing overview of so many different ethical codes for lawyers around the world — something important especially if you are thinking of pursuing an international legal career.
As someone who is interested in commercial law, I know there’s a lot of emphasis on creative thinking and diversity of ideas. I always try to remind myself that this is exactly what I have been encouraged to foster throughout my education, and it can actually be a real plus when I apply for jobs. People are always excited to hear about my unique educational experience from NYUAD.