LLM European Business Law - the PALLAS programme
The PALLAS programme will not be running in 2012-13.
- The PALLAS programme is ranked as among the six best LLM
courses in Europe and the ten best in the world.
- The School of Law at Essex is one of the founding
members of the PALLAS Consortium and we administer the LLM
European Business Law.
- PALLAS graduates are working across the full range of
public and private sector institutions, including top
international law firms, in most major European countries
and on other continents.
- PALLAS graduates (PALS) have an active network and meet
regularly, across Europe.
- Caleb Raywood from Essex, one of the first Pallas
graduates worked for Clyde & Co in Dubai after a period in
London and Paris and is now Vice President and Regional
Counsel (South Asia, Middle East and Africa) for MasterCard.
History of the PALLAS programme
For the first eleven years of its life PALLAS was based first in Nijmegen
and then Amsterdam. In 2007 the Programme moved to Essex.
From the beginning, the PALLAS partners felt the location of
the course should change from time to time, to reflect the
truly European nature of the course and also emphasise
PALLAS was not just the product of a single university.
Princess Margriet of the Netherlands was the guest
speaker at the programme's graduation ceremony in 2004 and
since then she has permitted her name to be used for the top
student prize each year.
PALLAS programme aims
The
objective of the LLM European Business Law is to train
business lawyers in the main legal cultures in Europe,
allied to a strong understanding of European Union Law as
well as international law. Each module unit invites students
to discover how the leading legal systems in Europe view
problems, what solutions they offer, the possible flaws and
alternatives. The input of EU law and other international
instruments is taken into account wherever relevant.
PALLAS
combines what is found in the traditional LLM in English
speaking countries with a cross-cultural dimension. It is
this combination of a strongly comparative and problem-based
approach which makes PALLAS unique.
The lecturers are drawn
principally from the partner universities and are experts in
their fields; a number combine their academic work with law
practice which adds an extra dimension. Visits to law firms
and businesses plus workshops are an integral part of each
module and offer an excellent insight into the practice of
European business law as well as a step to employment.
PALLAS graduates are both challenged academically and
practically trained. This equips them for the world of work.
As a result PALLAS graduates are working in many of the
leading law firms in Europe. This means PALLAS is unlike any
other Masters in Law currently running.
Excursions are
arranged to law firms creating strong interactions with
practice which is another unique feature of PALLAS. This
helps to prepare PALLAS graduates for successful entry into
the European legal world in a way no other programme does.
What our students say
Former PALLAS students remain in
contact with us and are happy to be contacted for
information about PALLAS.
Ossi Niiranen, from Finland,
completed his first degree at Essex and now works at
Clifford Chance in Brussels.
He said: "I can safely say that
I have not regretted choosing PALLAS. The combination of
talented lecturers and visits to major law firms (Clifford
Chance and Freshfields to name but a few) are something
arguably unique to PALLAS and will, without a doubt, make
the PALLAS experience even more beneficial for one's growth,
both academically and career-wise, than I had expected."
Caleb Raywood, an Essex graduate, is now Vice-President and
Regional Counsel MasterCard , Dubai.
He said: "I am now
enjoying my third career post PALLAS having moved from
barrister to solicitor to in-house counsel. The PALLAS
materials have accompanied me each step of the way and even
now I occasionally dip into them for guidance. But PALLAS'
legacy is far more than simply taking away knowledge; it is
the training to take a holistic view, analysing issues from
all perspectives whether that of an adversary in court, the
other side of a transaction, regulators of an industry or
stakeholders in a business. Not only that, it is the ability
to resolve problems while recognising the various national,
cultural and jurisprudential themes encountered along the
way, which make the role of an international lawyer such a
challenging vocation."
Victoria Navarro, Ashurst, Madrid,
said: "After one month of work experience at Ashurst, an
international law firm, I can totally confirm that PALLAS is
a really good programme and that it has taught me a lot.
There are many different things that I see on a daily basis
that I would have no clue about if it had not been for
PALLAS. I am therefore, extremely satisfied with the
programme you offered and I am even happier to know that
such a good programme will be offered to many other students
in the future."
Clementine Noblecourt, Lyon, said: "I
thought it was a really complete and very interesting
programme with many practitioners and teachers from all over
Europe teaching. Moreover, all 19 students found
professional opportunities after the LLM, including myself,
now working as a lawyer in a financial firm in Amsterdam."
Pauline Dijon, Lyon, said: "Being a member of the LLM PALLAS programme has undoubtedly been a unique and worthwhile
experience. Thanks to the programme I have not only
developed a broad range of skills in many legal fields (
banking, corporate, tax, business), but also got familiar
with a greater variety of teaching modes (readings,
workshops, lectures, trips). Moreover, the quality of the
programme combined with regular meetings with lawyers,
professionals and academicians from all over Europe
certainly gives students the opportunities to have direct
contact with potential and future employers. "But the LLM
PALLAS programme represents so much more. For me, the
programme has been an amazing human experience. During my
year of study in PALLAS, I really enjoyed learning from my
classmates about features of their countries: Ecuador,
Spain, Latvia and the United States."
Further information
and enquiries
For further details on PALLAS contact:
Mrs Gail Howell
Pallas and External Coordinator
School of Law
University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
United Kingdom
CO4 S3Q
E-mail: gchap@essex.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1206
873484