Testimonials

My name is Mauricio Gómez-Rodríguez. I am a 27-year-old lawyer, born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. Before coming to Rotterdam, I was doing an internship at my country's embassy in Rome. After that, I went to live in Madrid for two years to do a postgraduate degree in Air and Space Law.

Which master programme did you pursue?

Maritime & Transport Law at Erasmus School of Law.

Why did you decide to choose this programme?

When the time to choose a master's degree had finally arrived for me, it was not an easy decision to make, mainly because I was sure my choice would define the course of my career. My main doubt was in deciding whether it was worth doing a master's in a country other than my own. There is always the idea that you cannot study law in a foreign country because laws and societies are different. That was why I knew the Master of Laws (LL.M.) I would choose must have a solid international focus and a link with commercial law, which I like. And that's how I found the LL.M. in Maritime & Transport Law at Erasmus School of Law.

What do you remember most about the programme?

Despite being passionate about air law, discovering maritime law's world was fascinating. The best thing about the master programme is that behind every business, there is a whole legal framework that is one of a kind. Insurance, contracts, casualties, multiple jurisdictions, and different forms of transportation are some topics that each of the classes in this programme addresses.

However, I must say that it is not an easy master. There are certainly times when you have to focus on studying seriously, plus having a background in law is essential. Some of my classmates had to work hard because they lacked the experience. The classes could be intellectually challenging, as the academic demand is high. That is a reason why this master's is so internationally recognized. However, I must also say that it is worth the effort, and there are many other fun moments. During the academic year we visited companies and law firms. We had debates and working groups, making all the students relate to each other quickly since most of us were foreigners. Besides, Rotterdam is a charming city, full of young people and with a unique vibe.

What would you say to Erasmus School of Law students who are now choosing their master programme?

I can confidently say that the Maritime & Transport Law master programme opened the world's doors to me. It is a complete master's full of exciting topics in an industry with many opportunities to grow. My advice is not to be overwhelmed by how difficult it can be to find a house in Rotterdam or how long the rainy days can be. Most of your classmates will be experiencing the same things you are, and Rotterdam is a city where there is always something new to do or learn.

Studying International Law at Erasmus University Rotterdam goes beyond either the Erasmus University or Rotterdam. As a city beside The Hague, “the legal capital of the world”, one gets the best of both worlds — the university’s academic prowess, and the opportunities that lie within and beyond the city, including lectures and events at the Asser Institute and The Hague Academy of International Law. I regularly made use of these opportunities and had an opportunity to speak to Prof. Martti Koskenniemi. By choosing to study International and European Union Law at Erasmus, it opened more doors than I could imagine.

The curriculum of the International and European Union Law LL.M. Programme is bleeding-edge and you are exposed to all ongoing issues of International Law, including those topics and issues currently being debated or under negotiations. Combined with a foundation of European Law and the option to pursue a European Law track, it makes for a great academic-professional balance in this LL.M. programme. Some opt to combine both International Law and European Union Law elective courses.

What also appealed to me was that we frequently had guest lectures from professors of other universities, including those from other disciplines as well. In short, we had as much a diverse set of lectures as we had a diverse set of students, who could expose us to different concepts, crucial to a critical understanding of the law.

Lastly, the academic environment, comprising of both the teachers and the students, is conducive for intellectual stimulation as I feel constantly motivated to do better.

My name is Ynze de Jong and I work as a Senior Claims Handler at the Claims department of Willis Towers Watson division Corporate Risk and Broking.

My current work entails the handling of claims within the Marine department. The claims I am dealing with concern a broad variety of fields within Maritime and Transport Law, for example claims corresponding to Carriers liability, Marine cargo, Land based equipment, P&I, Charterers Liability and Hull & Machinery policies.

The work includes evaluating claim notifications in relation to policy cover, informing underwriters, instructing surveyors and lawyers in close cooperation with underwriters, discussing and negotiating with underwriters and the insured on the possible settlement of claims under the policy and coordinating recovery if applicable.

The knowledge I have gained in the master Maritime and Transport Law is very valuable in my day to day work. When starting the Master, I was the oldest student with 54 years of age and had gained during my career already quite some practical experience in the logistical field. Nevertheless I gained more and valuable in depth legal and theoretical knowledge during my study. This in depth knowledge is useful when advising clients or discussing with underwriters or opponents on certain Maritime or Transport law issues. I would therefore surely recommend the master Maritime and Transport Law to students who want to work in the Marine department of an insurance company or insurance broker.

Although I hoped that after my study the field of Maritime and Transport Law would hold no secrets for me anymore, I can tell you that this was a mere illusion. It is a very broad and interesting field that is continuously developing and will keep you on your toes.  I still learn new things every day!

Joost as a student

“I studied Law here in Rotterdam. I lived in Coolhaven but had friends with whom I always studied on Campus Woudestein or at EMC. I spent a lot of my time in the University Library. Usually, we would study during the day in the library, had dinner together and continued studying afterwards. I also went clubbing with this group of friends. For me, going out was an essential part of being a student.

Besides studying, I was a student assistant at the Criminal Law department, and I used to work out a lot. I joined The European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) in Rotterdam and Probus, the civil law association within JFR. Honestly, going out was my “main hobby”. I did that the most besides studying.

By working as a student assistant, I was already involved in many activities within the Criminal Law department, so I naturally became a part of a multitude of projects. I participated in many activities as a student assistant, and after I graduated, I continued to do so, but on a full-time basis. I do not have a spectacular story about finding my first job as I simply applied for a full-time position within the department.”

Contributing to new legislation remains a highlight of my career

“Soon after my appointment, I joined the Antillean project team, led by Hans de Doelder, Professor of Criminal (Procedural) Law at Erasmus School of Law. This team has contributed to the formation of the New Caribbean Penal Code, and the revision of the Caribbean Code of Criminal Procedural Law. At that time, I was in Curaçao six times a year for two or three weeks to write new legislation. After the Caribbean revision, Hans and I also wrote new legislation for the Penal Code of Suriname for a local legislative committee. In 2015, this code was adopted as active legislation.

I am most proud of the Penal Code’ revisions because we worked very hard and our propositions were adopted. We expect our revision of the Code of Criminal Procedural Law to be implemented any time now. Together with a small group of colleagues, we have worked on it for a long time, and it cost us a lot of time and effort. For example, we had been working on the Caribbean Penal Code between 2003 and 2013. Every occasion that our work becomes active legislation, it is a great compliment and a milestone in my career.”

Finding it difficult to say “no”

“Besides working on the project in the Caribbean, I am part of a multitude of projects. I have done much research for the police, Marechaussee (Dutch military police), FIOD (Fiscal Information and Investigation Service) and PwC. Also, since 2015, I am a deputy judge for the Rotterdam Court of Justice. I jump from one project onto another, which has been a constant throughout my career. Often, I cannot say “no”, and I should do it more often; however, I tend to find the projects very interesting and tempting.”

I aim to write as much as possible because I enjoy writing legal codes and books the most. In the past, I wrote columns for ‘de Havenloods’. I started after being interviewed by them about murder. They asked me if I would be interested in writing a weekly column for their magazine. I continued to do this for five years, after which I was ready for a new challenge.”

Writing and teaching is what I love the most

“I do not have a fixed work schedule. Most days start at 8.45 AM by turning on my computer and reading my emails. After which, I usually start writing. Every Tuesday, I write a newsletter for my website ‘SR Updates’ including the three most important verdicts of the Dutch Supreme Court in the previous week. Also, I teach a course biweekly, usually to practising lawyers. In the end, I spend most of my time writing, because I want to publish books. My passions are writing and teaching.”

Students and teachers are a union, without an authoritarian relationship

“My biggest challenge at this time is the felt gap between my students and me. It can be difficult to bond with students in a short period of five weeks. Students can easily find each other or the tutors, but it seems more challenging for the lecturers to connect with them. In particular with bachelor students as there are 800 of them. That creates a division and especially right now when all lectures are online.

Some students ask questions during my lecture or the breaks, but most ask their questions to tutors or other students in WhatsApp group chats. Honestly, I would like to be a part of those group chats, so I know what occupies them and which topics require more explanation in my lectures. It would also be beneficial for students because they would get a better idea of what is expected of them. Canvas might offer a possibility to chat but is used much less than WhatsApp.

You can clearly feel the division between teachers and students in the way students express their opinions about our exams and teaching. On occasion, we receive legal letters of complaint, which does bother me as it is not how I want to communicate with my students. In my opinion, students and teachers are a union, without the traditional authoritarian relationship. It is not like high school, where the teachers are in charge.”

It was like talking to a brick wall

“My workweek changed a lot due to the switch to online education. When we suddenly had to stay home as much as possible, it certainly took me some time to adapt. Luckily, the lecture rooms were already assigned to us and fitted with recording equipment. That is why we decided to proceed with the lectures on the planned dates, but with an online audience.

It felt quite bizarre to give a lecture in an empty hall. I did my first lecture on my own, but that quickly changed. I did not like to be alone in such ample space, because it feels like you are talking into the void. Also, every fifteen minutes, the lights would go out because the sensors did not detect any movement in the hall. If someone is there with you, that does not happen, and it feels less like talking to a brick wall.

It was very quiet on campus with everyone studying and working from home. I still had to be on campus to record my lectures, and sometimes I would come in early to get some work done in my office in Sanders Building. This way, I would not be bothered or distracted. When more people started to come to the campus, I did worry about maintaining our social distance. Luckily, we quickly set up a system within our department to notify colleagues about any plans to work on campus that day.”

Online education is a more significant burden for students than for teachers

“How our education will look like in the coming months depends on the speed of the vaccination program. After most people are vaccinated, I think everything will get back to ‘normal’ quite quickly. I expect that the social distancing will stay and that our education will remain online, at least in the short term.

Personally, online education does not bother me that much, and it is a more significant burden for the students than for the teachers. A big part of their study experience consists of getting together, meeting new people, and exchanging views in person. That is way harder with online courses and social distancing.”

My family is my biggest source of inspiration

“Whilst growing up, I looked at the way my parents and my uncles and aunts lived their lives and what they were doing. My family focuses on what interests and satisfies them. I have learnt that from a young age, and I am very proud of it.”

My name is Ana Carolina Gossain and I am working as a Legal Analyst for BG Freight Line BV, the headquarters being in Rotterdam.

BG Freight Line BV is a shipping line that provides a comprehensive range of logistics services to and from Ireland, the UK, and continental Europe. These services include door-to-door shipping, feedering, and quay-to-quay shipping for all types of containerised cargo.

My current work entails drafting Charter Parties, reviewing and providing legal advice regarding Bills of Lading, Terminal Contracts, and Transport Service Agreements. Additionally, I assist the Head of Claims. A working day as a Legal Analyst at BG Freight Line BV roughly looks like coming to work and checking emails first thing, evaluating and drafting several type of contracts, doing legal research, and maintain contact with different stakeholders in order to procure facts and evidence, that will enable us to handle claims properly.

The knowledge I have gained in the Maritime and Transport LL.M is reflected in my work on a daily basis. The courses on Charter Parties and Bills of Lading, Transport Law and Bills of Lading especially, have been crucial to the work I do as a Legal Analyst at BG Freight Line BV.

My name is Ramoe Jagesar and I’m working as a (strategy) consultant for KPMG Advisory in The Netherlands. My current work consists of supporting clients in the Public Sector on various topics. The projects range from business cases, policy evaluations, impact assessments, strategy execution and the design (or implementation) of new organizational structures. The work I do typically consist of gathering a lot of data and insights (mostly through desk-research and interviews). We use the obtained information for an in-depth analysis on the problems that our clients are facing and examine possible solutions to move forward. 

The knowledge I have gained in the master is reflected in my work through the valuable (practical) skills you need in a business context. During the LL.M. you are exposed to academically challenging research subjects, but also receive ample opportunities to further improve your critical thinking and (written/verbal) communication skills. Mastering these skills are essential for your professional career, regardless of the industry you want to work in. The university is known for its excellent academic staff. In a small-scale teaching environment, the professors are stimulating you to get the most out of your time as a student. Being in the vibrant city Rotterdam and having a classroom full of students from all continents of the world, ensures you will have a very enjoyable (cultural) learning experience.  

My name is Sonia Vanzo and I’m working as an in-house legal counsel for Sanne Group Luxembourg, which is a leading service provider in the investment funds industry.

My current work entails addressing all legal related needs of the company in a team of two, working together with the company's legal team head. Working in such a small team allowed me to learn at an extremely fast pace, being involved in the company's legal and regulatory framework.
This leads to a less strict daily job routine, as I have had several different tasks. For example, I have worked on setting-up new procedures, new agreement and terms and conditions templates, monitoring the legal and regulatory standing of the company as well as providing the company's clients with appropriate agreements, reviewing and negotiating the necessary clauses together with the client's lawyers.

The knowledge I have gained in the master is reflected in my work especially through my company law knowledge and my negotiation skills. I truly believe that the international focus of the Commercial and Company Law master efficiently covers all the most important concepts that a young legal professional should know at the beginning of their career, no matter what country they will be working in.
During the master, I also had the chance to represent the university at the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot competition, which was a remarkably valuable experience that enriched my commercial and arbitration law knowledge and most importantly allowed me to develop several soft skills, being instructed by encouraging and supporting coaches.

In my opinion, there are numerous ways to develop one's skills by being engaged in the different opportunities the faculty offers (for example student panel, moot court competitions, student associations), which are as important as the legal knowledge gained during the studies and which certainly facilitated me to find a job during the completion of the LLM.
In conclusion, I am satisfied to have chosen this particular master and would recommend it to students interested in commercial and company law. 

My name is Alicia Zwanikken and I am a graduate of Erasmus University Rotterdam (Erasmus School of Law), class of 2014. I am currently 34 years old and working in Rotterdam as a lawyer for Van Traa Lawyers. Moreover, I am an editor for the legal review “Tijdschrift Vervoer en Recht” and a co-editor for a book on liabilities for carriers during international road transport that will soon be published. My department within the law firm focuses on nearly all legal issues surrounding the (inter)national transport of goods. As this is a complex field including many parties such as carriers, cargo-interested parties and insurers from around the world, the legal issues involved are diverse. My work usually focuses on the issues where public law requirements and civil law obligations clash. As the regulatory and contractual environment is a fast-changing world in which lawyers can truly make a difference for transport-oriented companies, to me my work is challenging and deeply satisfying.

I am certain that I would not have ended up where I am today had it not been for the LL.M. Commercial Law programme at the Erasmus School of Law. The programme was intellectually challenging, all the more so as the input from fellow students from all around the world taught me to always challenge the status quo. I thoroughly enjoyed the in-depth academic discussions with the accomplished professors, highly professional teaching staff and my fellow students. Without even fully realising it at the time, I walked away with an improved skill set for analysing and arguing certain points of law from which I still reap the benefits in my day to day work. The entire year provided me with an invaluable experience that I have always cherished and which is not easily encountered elsewhere. I would highly recommend this programme to anyone interested in the international aspects of commercial transport of goods.

My name is Juan M. Sánchez Pueyo and I am a Managing Associate in the Dutch and Spanish Dispute Resolution Practices of Linklaters LLP. I specialize in commercial and investment arbitration. I joined Linklaters in 2019 after having worked at NautaDutilh as member of the Arbitration Practice. I have participated in numerous highly complex and high value matters, and gained experience under a variety of arbitration rules (including UNCITRAL, ICC, SIAC, CEPANI and NAI rules). I often act as counsel in arbitrations and arbitration related court proceedings, such as setting aside proceedings and enforcement proceedings. I also have experience in court proceedings and regularly advise clients regarding crisis management and litigation strategy. Recently, I had the honour to represented a client in the first merits hearing conducted before the recently opened Netherlands Commercial Court.

 I obtained my bachelors in Law and Political Science and Public Administration in the University of Seville, Spain. After I finished those studies, I wanted to study abroad and – after an extensive research on the different opportunities that I had within Europe – I decided to study the Masters’ Degree on Commercial and Company law at Erasmus University, where I graduated in 2015.  

My first contact with the arbitration world took place thanks to Erasmus University and the Erasmus Willem C. Vis Moot team that, at the time, was sponsored by NautaDutilh. After the Vis Moot competition was over and I had finished my masters, I was offered an internship at NautaDutilh. That is how I began my career as arbitration practitioner. My personal experience shows that not only the degree or masters that you choose on itself is important but also the environment in which you are studying and living. In my opinion, Erasmus University has a lot to offer in this respect. Rotterdam is a dynamic, entrepreneurial city, and the Erasmus University Campus is a reflection of this, filled with lots of interesting people, great professors and many, many opportunities.

‘I originally come from Italy and I studied law at La Sapienza University in Rome. I have to admit, I have not always known that Law was going to be my path. Looking back at the winding road of my career, I feel that I have slowly drifted and followed the gulfs of analytical currents; like a floating boat if you will. La Sapienza is a big university – I often felt like a small particle in an ocean of students. Although I was serious about my studies there, I felt something was lacking, as the teaching method was highly dogmatic. That was why I decided to do a LL.M. at Utrecht University, which turned out to be the cause of a big revolution in my life. Instead of learning things by heart, we were asked to critically think and analyze; it was a positive shock. That was the moment I really started to enjoy studying law. Today, I am convinced that law is one of the most exciting fields to study and I try to transmit this to my students. All in all I love this job.’

‘In 1999, I got the opportunity to do a PhD at Erasmus School of Law. My thesis was about the governance of catastrophic risks, created by human activity. Examples are the disastrous accident at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant or the 1984 factory explosion in Bhopal, India. My PhD was at the intersection of law and economics. At this crossroads, you try to think of the law as a system that gives incentives to people to behave in one way or another. If, for instance, you know that you are going to be liable if you are going to act in a certain way, then you will consider the external costs of these activities. If there is no liability, you might as well neglect those costs. That is how the law and economics perspective conceptualizes certain legal institutions; it can help to create tools to control and organize society in such a way that the costs of certain activities are taken into account by the actor, and steers action into another direction.’

‘The research I am conducting now has shifted towards the field of International Economic Law, which is extremely interesting, as it is key to understanding our ‘globalized’ society and it is at the forefront of the most important challenges of the 21st century. I study international agreements that are instrumental for the integration of markets at the global scale and at the same time have to deal with issues such as environmental and food regulation.  The more I engage with this field of law, the more I like it.’

Chlorinated chicken

‘When talking about international economic law, we are a talking about organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO), or treatises like the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Europe and Canada. Think for example of the debates on food safety that these partnerships inspired. A well-known and quite recent case, is that of chlorinated chicken. In America, chicken meat is bathed in chlorine in order to kill bacteria. An effect of this bath might be though, that it can cause people to fall ill.  People were afraid that American rules and regulations would substitute European rules and regulations, at the cost of our food safety. It is exactly in these types of cases my colleagues and I can help with our research. We can show the reasons behind the worries people have, and to what extend they are founded. It helps to pinpoint what is at stake and where the problems lie – it  adds a bit of precision to a debate that otherwise could go in any direction.’

Globalization, Science and Democracy

‘What is important to realize is that for globalization to work, we need to recognize each other’s safety standards and regulations. Many international agreements have thus resorted to science to settle conflicts about different regulations. This leads to an important part of my research focusing on the intersection of law and science on a global level. In our societies there are technical bodies, rather unknown, that can be politically very important. For example, there was a debate about the world’s most used pesticide: glyphosite (commercialized as Round-up). An international body that consists of scientists and that is related to the World Health Organization (WHO), stated that this pesticide can cause cancer while other bodies, such as the European Food and Safety Authority, denied the claim. My research tries to look at these bodies, that are pretty obscure, but that do have an influence on the decision making. In this context, I look at issues like: what is the type of authority these bodies exercise? What they do is actually never binding, but in the end, lawyers tend to follow these scientific bodies. So these bodies have authority - but how are they accountable? Can they respond in a court? How are conflicts of interest regulated?’

Accurate insights

‘A closely related issue is to know who has a voice and who does not. Who has the legal rights to challenge certain regulations and who has not. Who is marginalized and who is empowered in decision making processes where technical knowledge is necessary.  In the end, a lot is about how we think and make decisions, and indirectly also about what we want as a society – what do we think is important? Who gains and who loses? Of course, science cannot give you the answer whether you want to live in a certain type of society or in another – but science can help you to get an accurate insights on the problems we are facing. Legal institutions are important to design decision making processes that can be simultaneously science-based and inclusive, taking into the interests of different constituencies, particularly of the most vulnerable.’

‘By contributing – even in a small way – to the body of knowledge about such legal institutions, I feel I am doing something worthwhile. My research is nothing more than a grain of sand– but we know that all these grains of sand can grind a sophisticated machine to a halt - and establish change. Even the marginal changes in our field matter.  I think it is important to have a sense of contributing to a common project – what I am able to do, I can only do because there are so many brilliant minds around me, both here at the Erasmus School of Law and among my international colleagues. We should cherish this ethic of collective contribution to a body of knowledge that is not one-man made.’

Responsibility and determination

‘This job comes with responsibilities and with privileges. It is a true privilege to be surrounded by great intellectuals and to be able to study for all your working life. If you are considering an academic career, you should be aware of this privilege.  However, being a researcher also requires determination – the academia is a competitive world. That is why it is important not only to try to do what you love, but never forget to love what you do. You need to do something you love, as being a researcher is not something that stops when you leave your office. And doing research is not always exciting, or a piece of cake. There are also those days when a blank page is staring at you. When you fail (e.g. because an article you wrote is not the way you like, because a subsidy you applied for has not been awarded, etc.), and you feel miserable. It is then you need to make an effort and love what you do. In the end, when you have found something that you love to do, it will turn out that it is absolutely worth fighting for.’

‘On this note, it is worth mentioning that your working environment can be extremely important in this trajectory. What I think is unique about Erasmus School of Law, is the openness to change and to new ideas. You are not limited when you have a good idea – it really is the perfect environment for innovative and creative people. The university reflects the spirit of Rotterdam itself: extremely dynamic and interesting - so much is happening here!’

Personalia

Name: Alessandra Arcuri
Function: Associate professor International and European Law
Doctoral thesis: Governing the risks of ultra-hazardous challenges for contemporary legal systems
Expertise: Publiekrecht, Risk Regulation, International Economic Law, Law and Economics
Current research: Mega-Regional Economic Integration & Human Rights