Federica studied Intellectual Property Law at CCLS and completed her course in 2016. Read about her experience here:
As a law student and a journalist specialising in the art and culture sector, I always wanted to pursue a career in the area of Intellectual Property law. This was the field which, in my view, represented the perfect combination of my double background, by matching these two - apparently separate - passions. For this reason, over the course of time, I began to explore possible LLM options in the area. This is exactly how I came across CCLS for the first time. To be fair, at the very beginning I was not even sure I wanted to move to London: I was deeply in love with French culture and atmosphere back then. Yet, according to my searches, the program offered by Queen Mary University was by far the most prestigious in Europe. Thus, I moved there and I never regretted that decision.
During my experience at CCLS I collected a huge number of memories: starting from day one, which we spent all together with other students and professors in the lovely venue of Cumberland Lodge and going on through the entire year. Still, should I pick one memory only, I would certainly think about one of the first Copyright classes we had with Professor Gaetano Dimita. The lecture was supposed to deal with the tricky issue of plagiarism in music. I remember Professor Dimita came into the class and, without a single word, he opened his lesson by simply playing two songs in the background. Then, he stopped the recording, looked at us and asked that question we would asked many times in the future: “Infringement or not?”
It is indeed a great honour, but most of all it is really ‘cool’. It means you have the chance to interact with highly talented professionals in your field both as a friend and as a colleague. This is really important, especially if, like I did, you are planning to move away from your home town. As I keep saying, the IP community – compared to other areas of law - is quite small. Indeed, in this relatively tiny area, a prominent role is played by CCLS and its affiliation. As a CCLS member, you will always come across friendly faces at conferences and in your career, no matter where you are.
Studying at CCLS significantly contributed to my transition from a ‘law student passionate for IP’ to a ‘young practitioner’ specialising in this very field. This is mainly because my LLM modules offered a good combination of practical skills and theoretical insights. In particular, a great role in my professional growth was played by my experience as a qLegal adviser (Queen Mary legal clinic), where I took my first steps as a lawyer, by assisting start-ups setting up their own businesses. Moreover, the Certificate in Trade Mark Law and Practice, which I also took at CCLS, further helped me develop practical skills in the field of trademarks, in view of my subsequent qualification as a Chartered Trademark Attorney. Indeed, all this experience has been fundamental for the next stage of my career.
The expertise of the professors and of the international staff, the quality of the learning materials, the number of facilities offered or, more simply, the fact you will be able to sip a beer in the iconic Lincoln’s Inn Fields, whilst discussing the latest developments in Copyright law with your colleagues and professors... These are only some of the reasons why you should choose CCLS. It is just the ultimate place to be if you are passionate about IP.
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