Email: Gitau
I was quite struck when I first read about what the LLM Law and Economics aims to do: to train lawyers think like economists, and economists to think like lawyers! Initially, I was a bit apprehensive since my background is purely in economics and financial sector policy. Looking back though, I don’t think I would have made a better choice!
The interdisciplinary approach between law and economics (and allied topics in finance, banking and investments) was absolutely thrilling. I head Policy and Regulatory work at an organisation in Kenya that works with financial industry leaders, government officials and regulators. The twin legal-economics approach allows me to see the legal (and even constitutional) perspectives of policy and regulatory questions. This gives me a very unique and privileged 360 view that most peers (who have law only or economics only backgrounds) do not have.
The faculty was even better. We had some leading lights as leading tutors in particular modules (e.g. Prof. Rosa Lastra, leading central banking expert) and special guests who brought “industry” to the “classroom”. To sample a few: Charles Randell, current Chairman of the UK Financial Conduct Authority, advised UK Government when it dealt with Northern Rock, Bradford & Bingley, Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group during the 2008/09 crisis; Chiara Zilioli, General Counsel of European Central Bank; Lee Buchheit, Senior Partner at Cleary Gottlieb in New York and adviser to Greece and Venezuela's debt restructuring; LSE’s Prof. Charles Goodhart, leading expert on central bank and financial regulation.
Lastly, when it comes to finance and financial regulation, what better location to study it than in the City of London! This was complemented by the huge variety of students drawn from different countries and jurisdictions.