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THEMISThe International Legal Network of Excellence

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Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

THEMIS Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4ESADE Law School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Freie Universität Berlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Maastricht University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Università Bocconi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Université Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

The THEMIS Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Semester Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9International Internship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9THEMIS Seminar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Useful Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Erasmus Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

How to Apply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Amount of Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Student Testimonials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Villy de Luca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Susana Gallego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Domenico Garofalo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Matteo Giangaspero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Salvatore Graziadei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Victor Jollivet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Juliane Olga Moulganova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Rebecca Nahon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Joel Schroeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Maria Chiara Toniolo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

CONTENTS

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THEMIS is a network made up offive top European Universities:Università Bocconi (Milan, Italy),ESADE Law School (Barcelona,Spain), Freie Universität Berlin(Berlin, Germany), Université Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne (Paris,France) and Maastricht University(Maastricht, the Netherlands).

These schools have come togetherto create a new standard in businesslaw in response to an ever-increasingdemand for law professionals withinternational know-how andexpertise. The THEMIS program,offering a joint InternationalCertificate, was launched inSeptember 2006. Graduate-level lawstudents who are selected toparticipate in this program will begiven the opportunity to widen theirintellectual and academic horizonsby going on international exchanges,attending specialized THEMISseminars, and participating ininternational internships.

Students who are selected toparticipate in the THEMIS network

will obtain not only their local lawdegree (Combined Bachelor andMSc in Law from Bocconi, Grado enDerecho from ESADE, ErstJurustusche Prüfung from FreieUniversität Berlin, Master en Droitfrom Université Paris-Est Créteil orMaster of Laws LLM fromMaastricht University) but also theInternational THEMIS Certificate.

WELCOME

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ESADE (Barcelona, Spain) ESADE is a modern, outward-looking academic institution, whichcontributes to the development ofcompetent, critically-mindedindividuals. Through its historicallinks with the corporate world andsociety, it has become a livelyplatform for debate and socialinvolvement. The ESADE LawSchool was established in 1992 inresponse to demand from theprofessional world for soundlytrained jurists capable of rising to thenew challenges of the legalprofession. It also set out to becomea center where important legal issuescould be examined and debated.

ESADE Law School is aneducational institution which isrecognized for its intellectual rigor,its critical awareness and itsacademic excellence. Since itsbeginning, the Law School has beenespecially concerned withdeveloping connections withmembers of the legal profession. It isthe only Law School in Spain tohave a Professional Council made upof representatives from all of thelegal branches and from more than30 internationally-recognized legalfirms. ESADE has developed apedagogical model of its own, in

THEMISPartners

which the most diverse andinnovative methodologies create ahighly personal training project; aproject in which the experience oflearning is as important as itsultimate aim. Research reinforcesthe natural mission of teaching,nourishing it with knowledge andcontributing to its diffusion. Thegrowing complexity of today’sprofessional world and itsorganizations requires not onlyknowledge, but also the ability to usethis knowledge.

More information: www.esade.eduContact: Araceli Domenech(araceli.domenech@esade.edu)

Freie Universität Berlin (Berlin, Germany)

Freie Universität Berlin is a leadinginternationally-oriented universitywhich always ranks among the top10 universities in German nationalcomparisons and always achievesfirst place in terms of the number ofplacements among the top tenuniversities in a range of rankings.

The University offers more than100 courses of study in all disciplinegroups of a classic full university.Freie Universität Berlin is also aleading research institution. It is oneof nine German universitiessuccessful in all three funding linesin the federal and state ExcellenceInitiative, thereby receivingadditional funding for itsinstitutional future developmentstrategy. Freie Universität can thustake its place as an “internationalnetwork university” in globalcompetition among universities. Thefoundation of the University wasfacilitated through internationalsupport, and international impulseshave shaped its research ever since.

In order to survive, both on anacademic and an intellectual level,Freie Universität has establishedconnections from its geographicalposition in West Berlin toorganizations and personalities inWestern Germany, Europe, and theworld beyond. What began as anecessity rapidly evolved into asuccessful strategy: currently, Freie

Universität has over 130partnerships with scholarlyinstitutions worldwide and is adrawing card for internationalresearchers. The University’s guidingmission is derived from two sources.Freie Universität secured Humboldt’sideals for the city of Berlin in 1948,expressed in particular in theintegration of teaching and researchand especially in the principle ofacademic freedom. The secondsource is its founding act itself:justice, truth and freedom were theguiding principles which theuniversity was and is to serve. Theyare realized not least in theUniversity’s internationalorientation and in the responsibilityit entails for the world, in itsopenness for cooperation within andoutside the Berlin region, and in itsmodern organizational structures.

More information: www.fu-berlin.deContact: Grit Rother (g.rother@fu-berlin.de)

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THEMISPartners

Maastricht University(Maastricht, the Netherlands)The Faculty of Law at MaastrichtUniversity aims to provide excellenteducation and research that meetinternational standards. Educationand research provisions focus ondemands from the national,European and international labormarkets: one faculty for Dutch,European and international lawyers;one faculty where diversity inresearch and education plays acentral role. The educationalstructure is naturally designed tomeet national and internationalstandards. Lawyers must possess all of

the relevant skills: they cancompetently and creatively handlematters pertaining to national,European and international law, aswell as comparative law and all of itsmyriad interactions. Resolution skillsand language proficiency (both inthe native language and in English)are essential. Research also focuseson these interactions as well as onthe Europeanization andinternationalization of the legalprofession. It concentrates on pre-selected topics, European commonlaw (Ius Commune) and theglobalization of law and civil rights.

The Faculty of Law at MaastrichtUniversity consists of approximately2,500 students and 250 facultymembers. The faculty is located inan imposing building in the citycenter, and it is fully equipped withall electronic and other facilities.

More information:www.maastrichtuniversity.nlContact: Marijke van Hoof(marijke.vanhoof@maastrichtuniversity.nl)

Università Bocconi (Milan, Italy)The Bocconi School of Law wasestablished to provide students withappropriate means to face thegrowing complexity so typical of thelegal field. To fully comprehendtoday’s evolving scenarios, it isessential for a law student to acquirea solid, formal understanding of thefundamentals of law as well as to beaware of the economic effects of thecurrent institutional legal frameworkand the effects to be expected undera different legal regime. A betterunderstanding of the interactionbetween law and economics maythus improve the quality of the legalsystem. For this reason the BocconiSchool of Law aims to providestudents with the legal knowledgeand models of thinking required toundertake traditional legal practiceas well as the opportunity to gain adeeper insight into economics,accounting and statistics. This addsvalue to their abilities in the areasfor which Università Bocconi isrenowned both in Italy and abroad.Exchange programs with othercountries, along with aninternational outlook in terms ofFaculty and course content place an

emphasis on training students tobecome highly-skilled legal expertsin a globally competitive world.

More information:www.ir.unibocconi.eu/themisContact: Isabella De Toni(themis@unibocconi.it)

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THEMISPartners

Université Paris-EstCréteil Val de Marne(Paris, France)

Université Paris-Est Créteil Val deMarne welcomes approximately27,000 students and offers nearly allthe major disciplines. The LawFaculty is one of the most importantof the University Faculties. Foundedin 1969, it was originally known as“Faculté de Droit de Paris- Saint-Maur”. The Law Faculty receivessome 3000 students each year, out ofwhich a certain percentage comefrom foreign countries, primarilyfrom Europe (Erasmus students andstudents taking part in double degreeprograms organized with the UK,Germany, Italy and Spain). The LawFaculty prepares students for theLicence Diploma (3 years) and the

Master Diploma (2 additional years).Students may choose from sevenResearch Masters and fourteenProfessional Masters, dealing mainlywith Business Law and EuropeanLaw. These programs are held incollaboration with legal professionals(such as judges, barristers andnotaries). Members of the teachingfaculty are well-known in Franceand abroad.

More information: www.u-pec.fr

The THEMIS experience containsthree core elements: a semester abroad an international internship the THEMIS seminar

Semester AbroadThe semester abroad offers studentsthe opportunity to acquireknowledge and skills in aninternational context. The actualduration of the student exchange isone academic semester (fall/wintersemester).

Students choose courses fromamong a specific list of coursesapproved by the THEMIS network;students may choose to register forcourses offered in English or in thelocal language of the partner school.

During the semester abroadstudents are required to takecourses for at least 30 credits andto pass at least 24 exam credits ofbusiness law classes and/orinternational law classes in order tovalidate the semester for the jointcertificate.

Students are allowed to followone course (up to six credits) offeredat the partner school which is not aTHEMIS-accredited course. The 30credits for the THEMIS programmay not include credits for languageclasses.

InternshipThe internship is considered to bean integral part of the THEMISeducational path. Internships givestudents the chance to put theiracademic knowledge into practiceand begin developing theirprofessional career. Students selectedfor the THEMIS program arerequired to participate in aninternational law internship.

In order for the internship to beconsidered valid for the jointcertificate it must have aninternational focus and, if full-time,

The THEMISCurriculum

it must last for a minimum of sixconsecutive weeks (minimum eightweeks if part-time).

If the student is unable toparticipate in an internship in aforeign country, then the internshipmust be conducted at aninternational law firm, the lawdepartment of an internationalcompany, an NGO with aninternational focus or aninternational organization.

Student home and hostuniversities are available to assistparticipants in the internship search,however they cannot guarantee aplace to all participating students.

THEMIS SeminarThe THEMIS seminar providesstudents with a chance to delvedeeper into an area of internationallaw relevant to their academiccareer. It will focus on a differentsubject each year and will beconducted in English.

The seminar is usually held in thespring and is taught by professors ofthe host and partner schools, as wellas relevant local personalities.

The seminar is hosted by thepartners on a rotating basis, andstudents are required toattend one THEMISseminar during their participationin the THEMIS program. Travel,board and lodging expenses are theresponsibility of each individualstudent.

Past THEMIS Seminars2011-2012 Litigation, ESADE2010-2011 International Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution,

Università Bocconi2009-2010 Summer School in Law, Berlin2007-2008 International Contract Design; Recent Developments in European Law,

Université Paris-Est Créteil2006-2007 Corporate Governance, ESADE

Please note: At the end of the program, uponfulfillment of all the academic requirements,students will receive an International THEMISCertificate attesting to their unique educationaland intercultural experience. This certificate willbe awarded to students when all courserequirements of the home university have beenmet, as well as all THEMIS programrequirements.

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SelectionEach partner school will select itsown students to participate in theTHEMIS program, in accordancewith the guidelines jointly definedby the partners.

To enter the program, studentsmust demonstrate a superior level ofacademic performance, stronglinguistic ability with a certifiedEnglish proficiency at the C1 level(as defined by the CommonEuropean Framework) as well as adesire and motivation for aninternational experience.

Student selection usually takesplace in the spring and students startthe program during the fall semesterof the following year. For further details and applicationprocedures students should contacttheir local THEMIS Office.

CostsDuring participation in the program,students continue to pay regulartuition and fees to their homeuniversity. Each partner school mayrequire students to pay anadministrative fee for participationin the program. Participants shouldcheck with each local school office.Travel, board and lodging expenseswill be covered by each individualstudent.

Erasmus ScholarshipStudents selected for the THEMISprogram can apply for EuropeanUnion –LLP grants (Erasmus)through their home school. TheErasmus program offers students theopportunity to receive a monthlygrant for one semester abroad andfor undertaking a curricularinternship at enterprises, researchcenters and training centers.

The general criteria to be eligible toreceive the Erasmus Scholarship are: students must be citizens of one

of the 27 EU Member States(Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,Cyprus, Czech Republic,

UsefulInformation

Denmark, Estonia, Finland,France, Germany, Greece,Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta(participation suspended from2010), Netherlands, Poland,Portugal, Romania, Slovakia,Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UnitedKingdom), citizens of thecountries participating in theprogram (Croatia, Iceland,Liechtenstein, Norway,Switzerland, Turkey) or citizensof other countries, regularlyenrolled in a EU institute ofhigher education

the exchange/internship periodmust take place in one of thecountries mentioned above

Please note: Students who havereceived a previous Erasmus (or anyother EU) grant for an exchange or aninternship period abroad are noteligible. Students may only receive atotal of two Erasmus grants: one grantfor a study period and one for aplacement period. Students can applyfor both study and internship Erasmusgrants but overlapping between thestudy and internship periods is notallowed.

How to ApplyStudents must contact theinternational office and / or ErasmusOffice of their home university. Theoffice will inform her or him of themodalities to get an Erasmus studentplacement and to receive an Erasmusgrant for it.

Amount of ScholarshipStudents should contact their localTHEMIS Office for information onthe amount of the grant.

For further information and detailsabout application procedures forErasmus scholarships, please contactyour local THEMIS Office or see thewebsite http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp

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Student Testimonials “ESADE Law School is certainly one of the mostwell-known institutions in Europe. An internationalenvironment located in the Pedralbes Hill, itscampus, faculty, students and administration allmeet the standards one expects from a topEuropean institution”.

Villy de Luca, Università BocconiTHEMIS 2009-10 ESADE

“Taking part of the THEMIS program and doing myexchange term at F.U. Berlin was a great academicand personal experience. It allowed me to study andlater to work in a completely internationalenvironment as well as meet people from all aroundthe world”.

Susana Gallego, ESADETHEMIS 2010-11 Freie Universität Berlin

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I was lucky enough to study at oneof Europe’s leading law schools –ESADE – in a truly cosmopolitancity – Barcelona – within one of thebest study abroad programs offered tolaw students at Bocconi – theTHEMIS program.

My experience as a THEMISstudent at ESADE was extremelyenriching both culturally andacademically. With quite a small anddiverse student group, every classoffered endless opportunities fordebate over differences andsimilarities in legal systems andcultures. Many courses requiredstudents to make presentations inclass or work in groups on casestudies. In those cases, professorswould prompt a discussion over thecontent of the presentation or thesolution to the case study, andstudents would usually challengewhat was presented in class or thesolutions offered by other students.Those activities generally accountedfor a part of the final grade.

Classes were taught in English orin Spanish. I chose to take most ofmy classes in English because I wasn’tconfident enough about my Spanishproficiency, but I was amazed at howrapidly my Spanish improved. I foundSpanish relatively easy to learn forspeakers of Romance languages and Isaw people come to Barcelona withbarely any prior knowledge of thelanguage and leave with a goodcommand of it in daily conversations.The pleasant and extroverttemperament of the Spanish studentsplayed a major role in this, as did theone-week intensive Spanish course

DomenicoGarofaloUniversità BocconiTHEMIS 2010-2011ESADE Law School

MatteoGiangasperoUniversità BocconiTHEMIS 2010-2011Freie Universität Berlin

offered by ESADE to all incomingstudents. In fact, the small number ofstudents and the friendly atmosphereat ESADE made it quite easy to meetSpanish students, allowing foreignstudents to enjoy both the possibilityto interact with the locals and theinternational and the multiculturalenvironment of the university andthe city. In addition, ESADE boastsan excellent language center offeringcourses in English, Spanish, Chineseand Arabic.

I can’t finish my descriptionwithout a final word on Barcelona. Iwas absolutely impressed with howmany people from all over the worldI met. Barcelona attracts anenormous amount of students andworkers from North America,Europe, Asia and, of course, SouthAmerica, just to name a few of themost represented areas. Apart fromthis, the city has a wonderfulclimate, excellent sport facilities, anefficient transport system and anexciting nightlife. Barcelona isn’tjust for fun, though. The city ishome to many museums, historicbuildings and monuments – from theMuseum of Contemporary Art tothe numerous works by Gaudí,including Parc Güell and SagradaFamilia – and has an incrediblenetwork of public libraries.

In conclusion, I can say my studyabroad experience was indeeduniquely special and has had atremendous impact on my life. It hasshaped my mind-set and broadenedmy horizons in a way that I willnever forget. It is really somethingyou need to experience for yourself.

Since the very beginning of my studiesI was deeply aware of the importanceof spending an exchange periodabroad as part of my Universitydegree.

The THEMIS program is the resultof common efforts to build up anexcellent law network made up ofprestigious European universities. Theprogram is structured into three“steps”: a semester abroad at one ofthe partner universities, a seminar andan international internship. As part ofthe program, last year I applied forFreie Universität in Berlin, well-known as one of the highly-rankedGerman universities and known for itsgreat exchange program andinternational atmosphere.

Freie’s campus is located in anamazing residential green area justoutside Berlin, easy to reach thanks toefficient metro service. Foundedduring the Cold War as a “free world”university and financed by the US, itstill has a strong link with leadingAmerican universities.

My host university gaveinternational students the possibilityto study both international andGerman law: during my semester inBerlin, I attended 5 courses both inpublic and private law. Our courses,organized on weekly basis or in blockclasses, were taught by eminentprofessors from Freie and otherTHEMIS universities, along withexternal experts. All classes wereattended by a small number ofinternational, German and PhDstudents (more or less 20 per course).We had to work on setting up powerpoint presentations and on draftingpapers, dealing with different topics.Moreover, during classes theenvironment was really friendly andprofessors promoted discussions andsharing opinions.

Besides that, Freie Universität isvery well-organized: it provided adedicated introductory week andassistance to fulfill bureaucratic needs.Afterwards we were able to live 100%on campus. International students alsohave a great opportunity to learnGerman thanks to an intensive

language course organized in smallclasses and “tandem partner”conversation opportunities.

Everything was really great: therecently-renovated law faculty library,very modern PC pools and a widechoice of sports…and I won’t go so faras saying that even the food was great,but I was really surprised by thecampus canteen and its deliciouslasagna!

Therefore, do not forget that FreieUniversität means Berlin, whichshould not be considered just thecapital of Germany. Berlin is cheap (Ibecame addicted to street food such asTurkish kebabs and Chinese noodleboxes), green, bike friendly, trendy,young and international. It’s simplythe place to be for a short termexchange program! It’s a city whereyou really breathe recent history likenowhere else, but it is also modern,with a lot of weird parties and eventsgoing on every night. Anyone willreally enjoy their stay in Berlinseeking out hundreds of undergroundbars, clubs and “Wohnung” parties inshared apartments. In addition, it hasto be said that hanging out is reallysafe and public transportation runs allnight long during weekends, which isnecessary if the temperature is -15 °Cin January as I experienced!

The THEMIS program, as Ipreviously mentioned, also includes aseminar attended by all students frompartner universities involved in theprogram. Last year the seminar washosted by Università Bocconi andheld in Milan: we had very intensivecourses taught by famous Italian andinternational professors and lawyersand an amazing advocacy contest withstudents from different universitiesmixed into teams competing witheach other. This three-day seminarwas a great opportunity to socializewith other students and share ourexperiences from our exchange period.

I can definitely conclude that myTHEMIS studies and my six monthsspent in Berlin were a uniqueexperience that I will never forget andthat I would really recommend to alllaw students.

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I participated in the THEMISprogram in Paris in 2006-2007. Theprogram provided me with manyopportunities both educationally andculturally and it was an experiencewhich I always remember withpleasure. In fact, this was the firsttime that I lived abroad in a realinternational context.

The University in which theTHEMIS program was held wasParis XII - Val de Marne University.I found this University to be a greatplace to study. In particular thefaculty of law where I took all of mycourses was very well-organized andis located in a new building which isvery functional. The classrooms arelarge, well-equipped and comfortablefor listening to lectures and takingnotes. Moreover, the library was awonderful place to study and meetnew people. The University alsooffers a wide range of courses andthe quality of courses was very high

SalvatoreGraziadeiUniversità BocconiTHEMIS 2006-2007Université de Paris XII -Val de Marne

Victor JollivetUniversité Paris-Est CréteilVal de MarneTHEMIS 2010-2011Freie Universität Berlin

and they are very well-taught. All ofthe classes were in French, so it wasvery important to have goodknowledge of the language. Iorganized my plan of courses so thatI could take both international andFrench law courses. In particular, Ichose international courses such as“Droit des étrangers”, “Espacejudiciaire Européenne” and “Droit dela concurrence Européenne” andFrench law courses such as “Droitpublic de l’économie”. In myexperience, the mix betweeninternational courses and French lawcourses allows students to enter intoa very international contextcharacterized by French students andother international students whocome from all over the world. As aresult, I had the chance to meet newpeople and learn about new cultures.

Paris XII – Val de MarneUniversity is located in Creteil, alittle city near Paris. Students candecide to live in Creteil near theUniversity or in Paris and come tothe University every day by themetro. The metro is very well-organized in Paris so it is verysimple to use and I chose to live inthe center of the city. Paris is avery exciting city and a wonderfulplace to live. It offers a lot ofcultural and entrainmentopportunities. It is too hard todescribe Paris in just a few words, Ican only say that my days spent inParis were the best in my life.

Generally, I think that THEMISis a great opportunity for anyonewho wishes to enter into aninternational program, and in mypersonal experience THEMIS was agreat time for both cultural andpersonal growth.

I participated in the THEMISexchange program in the winter of2010-2011 at Freie UniversitätBerlin, located in Steglitz-Zehlendorf.

On the first day I participated inthe Erasmus welcome meeting withabout one thousand exchangestudents. The meeting was mostly inGerman, but I recommend allparticipants to attend this meeting.The Internationaler Club wasintroduced, as well as theimportance of the “tandem partner”,and also the free speaking coursesorganized by the speaking center.

I have to stress that course work isslightly different from France, butwith a little work it is possible tocomplete the “scheine” (certificate)with an acceptable grade.

In addition, the moot court is avery interesting experience becauseit provides the opportunity to learnmore about European rulesthroughout a case whose factsresemble a plausible case before theEuropean Court of Justice with otherpassionate students. But it requires ahuge amount of time, goodknowledge of German since theteam often discusses in their nativelanguage, and little contact with thecurrent THEMIS students. This iswhy I suggest people willing to bepart of this team to think about theirexpectations.

I rented my room in advance withthe Studentenwerk services. It waswhat the German callWohngemeinschaft (W.G.), a sharedapartment in a student dormitory.My room was clean and in order,with a corridor I shared with myGerman neighbor Stefan. Theshared-apartment was like a remakeof the well-known French film“l’Auberge Espagnole” becauseeveryone in my co-tenant came froma different country (China,Uzbekistan, Poland, Indonesia, etc.).

The THEMIS exchange program,shared with Erasmus students, is verywell-organized. Before the beginningof classes in September, it is possibleto take a German language course. I

recommend taking advantage of thisoffer because it is a high-qualitycourse with a very dynamic teacher.Then, depending on your level, youwill be enrolled in a class whichmeets for 4, 8 or 12 hours a week atthe speaking center located in theSilberlaube building (where theremarkable Philologische Bibliothekder Freien Universität Berlin islocated) for the entire wintersemester. Moreover, it is a greatopportunity to meet other exchangestudents from all over the world.

The diversity of the classes whichare offered during the THEMISprogram is very large. The greatadvantage is the possibility to chooseregular classes in English while atthe same time following lectures inGerman in order to learn andpractice German at an academiclevel. The size of the classes allowsand facilitates active studentparticipation, especially theInternational Public Law lecturewith Paul Dubois. I have to stressthe fact that the level of knowledgeof my colleagues was excellent.Finally, it is possible to complete aninternship with the THEMISprogram in a law office in Berlin forintermediates in German.

Studying at Freie Universitybroadened my views on law ingeneral and especially in EuropeanCompany Law. The THEMISseminar on Arbitration at Bocconiin Milan was very interesting andwas an exclusive moment to sharemy experience with my THEMIScolleagues. Generally, I think thatthe THEMIS program is a greatopportunity for anyone who wouldlike to enter into an internationalprogram. In my own opinion, theTHEMIS program has been amoment of cultural and personalgrowth in a wonderful city. It is a lifeexperience I will never forget.

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During my law study at FreieUniversität Berlin, I spent one studyabroad semester in Barcelona in2007-08.

The main capital of Catalonia is afantastic city and exciting foranyone interested in art, nightlife,fashion and a unique architecturewhich is significantly affected byAntoni Gaudí. Furthermore, Ienjoyed the sunny weather and thesea and I was able to spend my firstChristmas at the beach.

I also loved getting to know theUniversity Ramón Llull deBarcelona, which has a faculty of lawwith an excellent reputation andconnections with leadinginternational firms and institutions.

The university has a greatatmosphere, classes are very smalland you can easily get in contactwith students and professors.Participants call professors by theirfirst names, so students have theopportunity to get to know the “veryBritish” Legal English teacher Johnand the open-hearted Yannis fromGreece, teaching Competition Law.

As you can imagine, theinteresting discussions between

students from Spain, Italy, France,USA, Denmark, Sweden,Switzerland and Germany producevery interesting results.

Since many lectures in law areheld in English for THEMIS students,the semester abroad is a greatopportunity for improving languageskills, particularly in the field ofjurisprudence which today is anessential vocational topic for lawyers.

The joint certificate inInternational and Business Law andthe time spent in a foreign country isan ideal foundation for anInternational Master in Law. It isgreat for your CV but it is also anunforgettable experience.

I would also recommend anyonedeciding to spend a semester inBarcelona to take advantage of theESADE Spanish language course,which is quite important for dailycommunication, even for advancedspeakers.

Finally, it was fascinating todiscover the Spanish educationalsystem and student life, becomefriends with people from all overEurope and then meet them again inParis during the THEMIS seminar.

When I decided to apply for theTHEMIS program in 2010-2011, Ihad the choice to study at one offour top universities in Europe. Ichose ESADE in Barcelona and Ican assure you that I do not regretmy choice!

First, Barcelona is amazing andwonderful. This is such a unique city,bordered on one side by mountainsand on the other side by the sea.The climate is excellent all yearround and, above all, Barcelona issuch a dynamic town, a meetingplace where students come from allover the world. You can imaginehow festive the city can be at night!But Barcelona is also wonderfulespecially for its unique architecture(thanks to Gaudí) and its unusualplaces of the old Gótico and Ravalbarrios.

In addition, the cost of living isaffordable and accommodation iseasy to find.

Concerning the university,ESADE is located in Barcelona,more precisely in the upscaleneighborhood of Pedrables, which isabout 15-20 minutes from the centerby metro or bus. The school has allthe facilities you may need forstudying. In addition, theorganization is very well-managed.In fact, the school has an intranet,where all relevant information aboutcourses, but also student life andassociations, can be found easily.And you also have the ability toview and apply for internshipsoffered by law firms directly from theintranet, like all ESADE students.

There is a wide variety of coursesto choose from both in English andSpanish (Castilian) in areas such asLegal Ethics, Legal English,Competition Law, Mergers andAcquisition, etc. The head of theprogram may also be flexible incourse choices and if a course youare interested in is not on the“THEMIS list”, you can request totake a different course and explainyour reasons. For instance, I was ableto follow the course of oratoria,which is a class where you learn how

to act and speak in public. It wasperfect to help me improve mySpanish!

In addition, the learning system isinteresting, and it’s certainly verydifferent from the French system atmy home university. Indeed, thelessons take place in small classes, ofonly about 20 to 30 students.Teachers focus on interactivity andsharing in class. This is not anordinary lecture; participation isvalued, as are oral presentations.

Last but not least, ESADE has agreat international reputation, andprestigious students from well-knownuniversities study there. There arestudents from Harvard, Cornell,Boston College, Bocconi, JerusalemUniversity and so on. Participantscan make new connections andcreate an international network.

As you may guess, the THEMISprogram was an unforgettableexperience that allowed me to meetpeople, discover another legal systemand discover a new culture. Itopened the door to new horizons.Not to mention the very interestingseminar I attended on internationalarbitration led by famous lecturer,Emanuel Gaillard.

If you have the chance to go toBarcelona, you should take it — youwon’t regret it!

Juliane OlgaMoulganovaFreie Universität BerlinTHEMIS 2007-2008ESADE Law School

RebeccaNahonUniversité Paris-Est Créteil Val de MarneTHEMIS 2010-2011ESADE Law School

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I participated in the THEMISprogram in 2006-07 at ESADE inBarcelona. The ESADE Law Schoolis an excellent university in thenorth of wonderful Barcelona. It wasa very enriching to study at thisuniversity and in this city because itcombined professional and culturalexperiences in a very internationalcontext.

The THEMIS exchange programat ESADE is well-organized. Theuniversity communicates withstudents via intranet where allrelevant information is presentedand additional Spanish languageclasses are also offered, which takeplace two weeks before the officialstart of the semester. These coursesare fully recommendable, especiallysince they offer the greatopportunity to meet other exchangestudents from all over the worldduring the first days of your stay inBarcelona.

There is a wide variety of lawclasses offered to THEMIS students.The great advantage is thepossibility to choose classes inEnglish such as Comparative Law orLegal Ethics, while at the same timetaking classes in Spanish. This isvery attractive for anyone whowould like to improve their Englishskills especially in professional termswith courses like Legal English andclasses like OrganizaciónesInternacionales can be used to learnand practice Spanish at an academiclevel. The size of the classes allowsand facilitates active participation ofthe students in class. This causedvery fruitful discussions in the classComparative Law in which studentsfrom all different law systemsparticipated.

Thus, studying at ESADEbroadened my view of law ingeneral, especially InternationalLaw. Moreover, I took the

opportunity to do the mandatoryinternship of the THEMIS programat a law office in Barcelona.

Barcelona is a wonderful cityespecially for exchange students.There is a big community of Erasmusstudents from every part of Europewho mix with students from all overthe world. It is easy and exciting toget in contact with so many newpeople and sometimes theconversations end in anincomprehensible mixture ofdifferent languages.

The city of Barcelona has aprospering cultural life which offersinteresting events for every taste.The highlight of the cultural life inBarcelona is the local festival “LaMerce” which always takes place atthe end of September. Barcelonaoffers a great amount of famous andimpressive architecture and art. Inaddition, Catalonia is a beautifulregion with very beautiful places likeSitges or the Dalí museum inFigueres.

In conclusion, I would like toemphasize that it was a fruitfulexperience to participate in theTHEMIS program and it has helpedme in my academic career. It was oneof the main criteria for successfullyapplying to the position of anassistant at the chair of ProfessorArmbrüster at Freie UniversitätBerlin. As a consequence, I am stillvery involved in the THEMISprogram, organizing annual meetingswith current THEMIS students frommy home university before they goabroad, as well as welcomingincoming THEMIS students toBerlin. Moreover, I am still in touchwith former THEMIS students fromMilano, Barcelona and Paris in orderto create a THEMIS Alumninetwork which should serve as aforum for European scholars andlawyers.

For the whole semester, from thevery beginning of September up tothe end of February, I was one of thethree proud members of the teamrepresenting Freie Universität in theEuropean Law Moot. The moot is arather young but highly-esteemedinternational competition focused onEU law, involving students fromalmost a hundred differentuniversities all over the world. Ourteam was recently selected for thesemi-finals and there I will play therole of Advocate General, pleadingbefore teachers and judges andasserting an independent, objectivepoint of view on the case at stake.Although this is not part of theTHEMIS program, it must be notedthat the ELMC and THEMIS maywell build a perfect match, as far asthe focus on internalization and acomparative outlook are concerned.It is surely interesting to take courseson European Consumer Protection,European Company Law or EuropeanContract Law, but they risk beingonly small pieces of a far largerportrait: participation in the mootserves exactly the ambitious but, inthe long term, the necessary goal ofsketching a more comprehensiveimage of the EU phenomenon.

By analyzing a case whose factsresemble to a great extent those of aplausible, real case before the EuropeanCourt of Justice, students have theopportunity to learn about law on thefield and with other passionate lawstudents, learn about the applicablerules, and gradually enter into the ideaof Europe that this set of rulesembodies. Students may also getfamiliar with the Court case-law, thesubtle distinctions of AdvocatesGeneral and the shifting evaluations ofsuch decisions expressed by scholars;this is a benefit that may prove helpfulor even decisive in professional life.But, above and beyond this, you willdevelop a truly European approach tothe subject-matter as each day goes by:as a matter of fact, mastering EU lawdoes not have to do with knowledgeonly, but, more generally, with skillsand with spirit.

But participants should also becareful. This path is full of hurdles,especially the huge amount of timeit requires: three rather intensivemeetings per week are considerednormal and no predeterminedduration is established, whichrequires lots of flexibility andpatience. Moreover, a few hoursevery single day must be devoted tothe case study, because allinformation provokes a number ofquestions that are only discoveredduring preparation for the moot.

In addition to the time feature, itmust be kept in mind that, eventhough the official languages of thecompetition are both English andFrench, good knowledge of Germanis highly recommended, since tutorsand members of the team arenormally from Germany and arehappy to discuss matters in theirnative language. Last but not least,the abovementioned improvement ofprofessional skills and the fine-tuningof the said spiritual approach to EUlaw are not assured nor achieved bythe end of the moot itself: it is only atool that must be used extensively tobecome a true, European lawyer.

On many occasions I have almostregretting applying, especially when Ihappened to see friends enjoying freetime which, to be honest, tended tobe lacking during my own THEMISexperience. And, generally speaking,I am still convinced that anyinternational experience whatsoever,may it be the prestigious THEMIS orany Erasmus program, should offer abalanced blend of work and other,more interesting ingredients. In thisrespect, the European Law MootCompetition surely contributes tostriking the balance widely in favor ofintense work rather than social life.

In light of this, please start byconsidering what you really expectfrom you stay: do you want a freshand appealing mix? Then enjoy yourTHEMIS courses and delve into themagic of the city. If you feel moreoriginal, however, then theEuropean Law Moot Competitionmay be the right choice!

JoelSchroederFreie Universität BerlinTHEMIS 2006-2007ESADE Law School

Maria ChiaraTonioloUniversità BocconiTHEMIS 2008-2009Freie Universität Berlin