Law students in the UAE get boost for work prospects

Dubai - With no other universities teaching common law here, this is the first partnership of its kind for the country.

The employability opportunities for law students in the UAE have just been given a boost.
Middlesex University Dubai and Fichte Legal Consultants have partnered together to help law students' transition from academia to the working world.
Less than a week after Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director-General of Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) told Khaleej Times that it is focusing on guaranteeing students work after graduation, this memorandum of understanding was signed.
"Students here can now develop their skills in real-time through practical experience," Jasamin Fichte, managing partner at Fichte Legal Consultants, said.
With no other universities teaching common law here, this is the first partnership of its kind for the country.
This initiative will bring a range of learning opportunities and training prospects to students in order to better prepare them for their eventual entry into the professional world. Going forward, leading experts from Fichte will partake in a series of guest lectures, workshops and tutorials allowing the students to build on their legal knowledge while simultaneously expanding on their networking opportunities.
Students will also be offered training seminars and legal consultancy on international maritime law and they will take part in interactive exercises, which focus on developing their persuasion, negotiation and witness handling techniques. "DIFC Court have been so proactive with this partnership and it is excelling this practical experience for students," Fichte said.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Dr Cedwyn Fernandes, director of Middlesex University Dubai, said up to 200 students will now benefit from this real-time experience.
"One of the top three goals of our university is employability. With Fichte, the chances of our students getting employed after study have now increased because employers want homegrown students who know the legal system here. That's a trend we are seeing."
There are approximately 100 students studying on the university's undergraduate programmes (LLB, BA Law, BA International Politics and Law, BA International Politics) and 30 students on the Postgraduate programmes (MA International Relations and MA Global Governance and Sustainable Development).
For third year law student Alia, the partnership has also been a confidence-booster. "This will open up many doors for us as law students because it will give us great exposure to how the industry works here. Theoretical learning is great but practical experience is far beyond anything a classroom can teach you."
kelly@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai