Christiana Katsapi entered Vanderbilt’s LL.M. program a year after earning her LL.B. at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. For Christiana, earning an LL.M. in a nation with a common law system was an important step toward her goal of an international law practice. “I knew an LL.M. degree would enhance my career prospects,” she said.
She considered law schools in England before deciding to focus on law schools in the United States, where LL.M. graduates can be admitted to practice by passing the New York bar exam.
“I want to pursue an international career with a global firm specializing in business law, so that makes an LLM degree from a reputable law school like Vanderbilt particularly valuable,” she said.
Christiana was searching for LL.M. programs during the global COVID-19 pandemic, which meant “I did my research online,” she said.
Vanderbilt stood out both for its high academic ranking and Law and Business Certificate program. “Vanderbilt’s faculty of distinguished legal scholars and accomplished practitioners bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the classroom, and its Law and Business program allows LL.M. students to specialize in business law and be taught alongside J.D. students. It was an excellent way to learn about how the U.S. legal system works,” Christiana said.
The Socratic method of teaching—where professors pose questions and call on students to answer them—was new to Christiana. “At Greek universities, professors lecture, and students take notes and do not actually participate. After I got over being surprised, I really enjoyed it—it made learning more fun,” she said.
Christiana particularly appreciated the academic rigor at Vanderbilt. “LL.M. students are held to the same high standards and must meet the same academic requirements as their peers in the J.D. program. That ensures that Vanderbilt LL.M. graduates are well-prepared to enter the legal profession and can compete for jobs in the U.S. and their home countries,” she said.
Her favorite class was Corporations and Business Entities, which she took in the fall from Professor Amanda Rose. “Professor Rose’s Corporations class was valuable and engaging and provided a comprehensive overview of fundamental corporate legal concepts in the U.S. I gained a solid understanding of how corporations operate in the U.S. and the legal frameworks that govern them,” she said.
She also enjoyed taking Securities Regulation from Professor Yesha Yadav, an international securities regulation expert who worked for the World Bank before joining Vanderbilt’s law faculty. “Professor Yadav’s teaching style is both fun and informative, and she has a deep understanding of the subject matter that she is eager to share with her students,” she said.
Christiana found Vanderbilt’s law faculty accomplished and accessible. “The faculty here are not only renowned legal scholars, but also engaging and approachable educators who are dedicated to their students’ success, and they are always willing to listen to our concerns and questions,” she said.
She also appreciated that Vanderbilt’s small size meant professors knew her personally. “In Greece, there are so many people in the classroom, you don’t know your professors. At Vanderbilt, professors know my name and wave at me in the hallways. I also connected with students from all over the world with a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures, and I made friends I will cherish for years to come,” she said.
Christiana roomed with another LL.M. student, Bruna Bomfin of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and they both enjoyed living in Nashville. “Nashville has a relaxed and friendly vibe, and there are lots of interesting things to do,” she said.
She found learning about a common law system based on legal precedent an interesting intellectual exercise. “The U.S. legal system has a strong tradition of legal precedent, and at first it was hard for me to get the mindset of caselaw,” she said. “In the civil law system I’m familiar with, legal precedent is not as strong, and judges are not necessarily bound by decisions made in previous cases.”
Christiana recommends Vanderbilt’s LL.M. program to students seeking a rigorous legal education as a ‘wise investment in your future career.”
“This program has been a challenging and rewarding experience that allowed me to expand my knowledge and develop new skills and enhanced my personal and professional growth. I now have specialized knowledge, an expanded professional network, enhanced skills, and increased earning potential,” she said.