Interview with former trainee: Lelde graduated from Tallinn Law School with Law degree in International, Comparative and European Union Law. Now she is doing her Master in International Business Law at Tilburg University (the Netherlands).

Q: Lelde Plūksna, can you tell us more about your background?

I'm from Latvia myself, but ended up studying my Bachelor's program in Tallinn, Estonia. I started to study in University of Latvia in Faculty of Law, but then had the opportunity to study more international law in English. I graduated from Tallinn Law School in 2012 with Law degree in International, Comparative and European Union Law. Now I'm doing my Master in International Business Law at Tilburg University (the Netherlands).

Q: Was working in our office in Tallinn beneficial for you?

Yes, it definitely was. I needed internship as part of my curricula to graduate from University, therefore being admitted to do my internship at Gencs Valters Law Firm was a perfect opportunity. I was in Tallinn's office for 3 months, so I would say I got a grasp of the lawyers' day-to-day activities. It was a good experience.

Q: Are there any differences between working for a Baltic Law firm and other?

I cannot really compare or elaborate on differences between Law Firms in different countries since this was my first legal practice in a Law Firm so far. Nevertheless, I think that this Law Firm embodies three similar, but still a bit different takes on law and legal practice, since the laws differ from country to country. I mean that working in a pan-Baltic Law Firm gives you an opportunity to experience working in three Law Firms at the same time because there is a frequent communication and cooperation between the offices.

Q: What did you take home after your time in Estonia?

Definitely I gained experience. Not only legal, but also people and social skills, because it is teamwork and you have to communicate, exchange information, ask questions. Moreover, living in country other than your home country, it opens the mind and gives an insight and better understanding of different cultures, people, and language and a different take on same situations, problems. In short – more global perspective.

Q: What did you find interesting in Latvia/Lithuania/Estonia Law system?

Although all countries have very similar background, history, etc., there are still many differences in the approaches, processes and time taking to get to the desired outcome. Nevertheless, all three countries are Members of the EU; therefore there are also many similar provisions that sometimes make the task easier.

Q: What is your goal in your career right now? Do you think your internship in Gencs Valters Law Firm helped you in any way?

Currently I am about to finish my Master's degree, after which I am looking forward to work in some Law Firm and gain more experience. Legal internship gave me the practical insight of legal situations and problems which we had previously discussed only theoretically. I do believe that practice makes the master.

Tilburg University, the Netherlands