We catch up with Intellectual Property Law LLM Graduate Wenyi Liu, who tells why CCLS was such a great place to study her LLM:
After studying at Queen Mary I did an internship with a law firm in London and then moved back to China to work with Simmons & Simmons, a long-standing international law firm. Studying at Queen Mary had really helped with my career as it enabled me to touch a different jurisdiction and strengthened my knowledge in international law practice.
Upon obtaining a bachelor of law degree from China University of Political Science and Law, I looked for an LLM programme in the UK and I found that Queen Mary Law School had a really good rating in the world and has been frequently cited in papers on international commercial law research. I checked out the Professors and courses on the website and I was really impressed by the respected academic backgrounds. Among other strengths, I am most impressed by the varied selection of law specialisms at Queen Mary, which is hardly available in other universities. This demonstrates the expertise and profundity of law study and research at Queen Mary. The website of Queen Mary was really user friendly for my research. I also discovered that Queen Mary is ranked highly for its friendliness for students. This is important for overseas students and in particular Chinese students:- it is often the first time we have been thousands of miles away from homeland and thrown to a completely different culture. The friendliness helped me fit in with the community and build up my confidence for my study and life in London.
Studying at the CCLS was fantastic - it sits in Lincoln’s Inn, the legal heart of UK and is surrounded by the Royal Courts of Justice, the Law Society, the Honorable Society and a bunch of renowned chambers. It means that students can immerse themselves in the environment to study law and learn the solemnity and beauty of this traditional discipline. Holborn is also at the start of the West End where there are a cascade of museums, art galleries, opera houses, theatres and parks. Presence in the heart of London, you cannot avoid indulging yourself with the magnificent history and culture of the country.
In terms of my practice, my focus is dispute resolution and international arbitration, although I studied LLM in IP. I know many people who work in different nt practice from their study specialisms. The specialism is a selection of advanced study rather than a limitation to your practice. I have recently been promoted to an Associate and was invited to training and networking in the London Headquarter of Simmons & Simmons. I am looking forward to spending more time in London in the future.
To share a bit of me, I am a regular yoga practitioner and I am thrilled to find so many lovely yoga studios in London. I enjoy surrounded by people from different cultures and sharing a space to practice. I have been going to yoga sessions at 7am everyday to overcome jet lag. You have to stand on your own feet and do your own practice without critics and judgement. It helps me restore balance and faith in myself. I feel I am accepted when I am in London and I have always loved being part of it.