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Centre for Commercial Law Studies

Rutger Metsch (2014)

Rutger Metsch graduated from CCLS with a Comparative and International Dispute Resolution LLM and is now working as an Associate (International Arbitration) at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, and teaches on the Strategic Decision Making for Lawyers module at CCLS

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Rutger Metsch in greyscale

Why did you choose to study at CCLS?

While writing my undergraduate thesis about International Arbitration, I noticed at some point that I kept citing sources written by CCLS academics. I applied to the LLM programme a Google search later.

What was your favourite memory as a CCLS student?

Getting to know (and learning from) people from so many different countries and (legal) cultures, whether it was during lectures or tutorials, in student halls or in the pub. And, of course, meeting my future wife!

What does being a member of the CCLS community mean to you?

I enjoy running into fellow alumni from different cohorts at events, conferences, etc. It is always good to hear their stories and experiences, which are often similar to mine. I have been asked more than once by an older alumna/alumnus if Professor Lew still reminds students to "read the rules".

How did your CCLS experience contribute to your career?

Greatly, I think – though (I hope) I am still at the start of my career. I did an internship with my current firm directly after the LLM, and I wonder if I would have been hired had I not done the programme. Also, I took the Strategic Decision Making for Lawyers module during my LLM and became obsessed with a topic I knew very little about before my time at the CCLS. After graduating, I stayed with CCLS as a research fellow (and later as associate lecturer) and ended up teaching the module myself. I have now taught the module for four years and am part of the decision analysis team at my firm, where we apply the concepts taught in class to help advise our clients.

Why do you think prospective students should study at CCLS?

I think a key benefit of the CCLS programme is that there is a broad module offering, covering both the more 'common' topics and niche areas of law and legal practice. I enjoyed being able to take the flagship arbitration modules (which were the reason I had applied) but also having the opportunity to explore new interests (such as the Strategic Decision Making for Lawyers module or negotiation classes).

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