Topics: Law school, University of Zurich, University of Bern, learning tips, career entry top of the class, summa cum laude, exchange semester, University of Strasbourg, law clerk, career path, criminal law, criminal defense attorney, taormina law AG
Feel free to comment on Linkedin.
Reading time: 3 minutes.
Hello Mrs. Huber, thank you very much for accepting the Lawjobs interview. You have achieved both your bachelor's and master's degrees with summa cum laude honors, and received the award for the best bachelor's degree. How did you manage to use your time effectively and find a balance between your studies and leisure activities, despite excelling in your academic performance?
I'm not sure if this is the best strategy, but during the first few months of each semester, I always enjoyed my study time and didn't spend much time in the library. However, I consistently attended all the lectures. This way, in the last third of the semester, I had enough energy to fully focus on exam preparation. During this time, my leisure activities may have been limited, but since it was only a short, intense phase, it was manageable.
Many students have to retake their first year. What strategies would you recommend to successfully complete the first year of studies?
At the beginning of my studies, I was also quite lost. The sudden volume of material overwhelmed me at first. It was extremely helpful to seek advice from older students. This often helps more than relying solely on official university information.
To pass exams successfully, I recommend focusing on the essentials and being willing to leave gaps in your knowledge. Professors often recommend reading many textbooks for exam preparation. Personally, I rarely used textbooks. In legal literature, you can easily get lost in a flood of information that you can't possibly remember. If you take attentive notes during lectures, it is often enough to revise exclusively with the slides or script and your lecture notes. This makes the material more manageable, and you have a better chance of actually mastering it. If there are any uncertainties, you can still look up specific questions. During exams, there is rarely time for lengthy elaborations, so it's better to be able to quickly recall the relevant key points.
The sudden amount of material initially overwhelmed me a lot. Therefore, it was extremely helpful to gather tips from higher semester students. - Leonie Huber
Based on your experience with a semester abroad in Strasbourg: Do you believe that a semester abroad is recommended in law studies?
I'm not sure if a semester abroad is specifically recommended in law studies in terms of curriculum, unless you want to specialize specifically in international law. Generally, however, I think a semester abroad is recommended in any course of study. It allows you to gather new experiences, live independently in a different world for a while, and in doing so, you become more independent and confident. In addition, you can improve your language skills, which is always advantageous. I think these are qualities that are helpful for any life path.
How did you cope with stress and pressure, particularly during the exam phase or demanding project work?
Honestly, sometimes better, sometimes worse. Fortunately, I don't suffer from exam anxiety, which is a great advantage. But even I was often under a lot of pressure during the exam phase. It's probably best to simply accept that this is the case for a short while and that it's okay to be stressed. The exam phases don't last very long. That's why I always took some time off at the beginning of the semester.
How did you manage the transition from academia to the professional world, and what are your professional goals now?
I did my legal internship at a court of first instance, where I worked as a court clerk. This gave me insight into many areas of law. My preference for criminal law, which had already shown itself during my studies, was clearly confirmed. Working in the court quickly made me realize how important it is for a lawyer to specialize in a specific area of law. In my opinion, this is the only way to provide real added value to clients. So, it quickly became clear to me that after obtaining my bar certification, I want to work exclusively as a defense attorney, which I am doing now. In the future, I could imagine completing the SAV Specialist Attorney Criminal Law certification. But for that, I first need several years of professional experience.
What skills or knowledge would you recommend to students to stand out in today's job market?
It is certainly useful to do a short internship in a law firm during the semester break. Law firms often prefer to hire familiar faces. And unfortunately, in the legal world, grades are still of great importance. Good academic performance opens most doors. I feel that too little focus is placed on other strengths, such as work experience during or prior to studies, language skills, extracurricular activities, etc. Therefore, I recommend taking enough time for your studies so you can achieve the necessary performance. I studied one semester longer than the study plan in both my bachelor's and master's degrees. This gave me enough time to work 40% next to my studies without having to make compromises in my performance. An extra year more or less won't make a difference later on.
Thank you very much for the interview and the advice for aspiring lawyers, Ms. Huber. We wish you continued great success in your further journey.