Michela Mancini is a brilliant graduate from the LUISS Department of Law who will attend the Harvard Law School Master in Laws this fall thanks to a LUISS graduate scholarship. “Never had I experienced such satisfaction in my professional life than the day I received my admission letter from Harvard. I graduated in October 2011, yet after my year abroad at the University of East Anglia in 2009, I dreamed of having an educational experience that stimulated me just as much as the first.”
Specialized in Business Finance Law, Michela worked in the Corporate Department of international law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP. She stayed there for three years as a trainee and then as a lawyer. “My thesis brought me good luck. During an interview, a partner showed interested in my topic and chose me as a junior lawyer specifically to work on banking regulation and financial institutions. It was an important phase of work and development for me, during which I threw myself headfirst into my work to give my best.”
Following a period of secondment in the American Express Legal Department in Italy, Michela decided to apply for master’s programs. “The first schools to both accept me and offer me scholarships were NYU and Chicago, but when I received the letter from Harvard, I knew in my heart that I had already made my decision.”
“The application process for master’s programs in American universities,” explains Michela, “requires a significant time investment. The most important elements are recommendation letters from both the academic and professional worlds and the personal statement in which you explain your short-term and long-term professional objectives in addition to your motivations for applying to the program. I told my story and explained my values and convictions without filters, with passion and enthusiasm. I needed to use that small space to show them who I am, keeping in mind that such prestigious universities are not looking for ordinary people. Whether an academic or professional, the important thing is to stand out from other candidates, to be a part of a pool of international students with impressive profiles.”
Michela will begin her year in Boston this August. “My objective is to continue on a highly distinguished academic path to develop a new prospective and practical approach. I am very much looking forward to representing my country and university while meeting with international students, their cultures and their legal systems. I must thank LUISS for supporting me in my career. The University allows students to be exposed to the job market from their first year of studies and is extremely dedicated to providing an international education. Several professors are also practitioners, thus they are able to transmit both theoretical and practical knowledge, something that companies and law firms truly appreciate. In addition, I have to also thank the University for the scholarship to attend Harvard.”
In Michela’s opinion one must always look for new opportunities to grow in order to develop professionally. “If you’re perseverant, there is no obstacle that you can’t overcome!” Regarding her future plans, Michela is waiting to see where this new experience in the United States will take her. “All that I know for sure is that I will face this next step in my professional path with dedication because I believe that thorough academic preparation is fundamental in improving legal culture in economic fields.