Miguel Amado arrived at Vanderbilt Law School with six years’ experience in the legal profession. He grew up in Panama and attended Universidad Catolica Santa Maria la Antigua, where he pursued a law degree immediately after graduating from high school. “In Panama, it’s normal for a law student to work as a paralegal from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and then go to law school at night,” he explained.

Though he was also interested in business, Miguel realized that what fascinated him most about corporations were the legal structures behind them. “Every time I learned about a new business, I started thinking about something related to law, like what licenses or permits you needed to have,” he said. After joining Morgan & Morgan as an associate, Miguel discovered that every associate and partner he worked with had an LL.M. or J.D. from an American university. “Panama lives off of foreign investments,” he explained, “so it’s good to know the laws from other countries, especially the U.S., so that when you’re attending to your clients, you can use familiar terms.”

As he decided where to pursue his LL.M. in the United States, Miguel looked for a highly ranked school with smaller classes that would allow him to develop personal relationships with his professors. Since English is his second language, he worried about being able to keep up in the classroom. He felt like if he got to know his professors, he would be less likely to fall through the cracks. Miguel was also intrigued by the South, and specifically the size of Nashville, so Vanderbilt was the perfect fit.

Once on campus, Miguel took classes that exposed him to subjects he had never studied before. This included Environmental Law, taught by Professor Michael Vandenbergh, which helped him understand how environmental issues affect businesses. Another favorite was Professor Robert Reder’s Drafting and Negotiating Private M&A Transactions course, which aligned with his corporate interests. “Professor Reder gives you real-world experience about how a contract is drafted and why it was drafted that way,” Miguel explained. “You can learn a lot about drafting contracts and M&A transactions with that class, so it was very beneficial for me.”

The friends Miguel made at Vanderbilt Law School, in and outside the LL.M. program, were equally meaningful. “I have made some very important friendships here, being my first time away from home,” he said. “It’s a very cool experience to meet with people outside your culture. You learn a lot from them, and they learn from you.”

That sense of community is what he expects he’ll remember most. “People are very welcoming and very helpful,” he said. “If you need notes or an outline, they will give them out.”

Looking back, Miguel described his time at Vanderbilt as one of gratitude and personal growth. “I am very grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “You learn more things about yourself when you start living on your own.” Being alone in a new country required him to put himself out there. “It’s important to go out, meet new people, and be friendly,” he said. “I made friends in class or just by hanging out.” He also urged future law students to participate in class and not be afraid to speak their mind.

After graduation, Amado returned to Panama and began working as an in-house lawyer for Terminal Investment Limited, one of the largest terminal container managers in the world. His job description includes contract reviews, compliance checks, and legal oversight. Now fully acclimated to his work, he noted that Vanderbilt Law School helped him achieve one of his original goals: to enhance his legal English.