Student profile: Sebastian Woschech

Photograph of LLM graduate Sebastian WoschechProgramme: International Commercial Law
Nationality: German

As one of the leading universities, nationally as well as internationally, Birmingham’s reputation easily extends to Germany and beyond. Having consulted former students and the academic staff of my previous university my impression of the intellectually challenging atmosphere at the University of Birmingham was confirmed. The strong focus on the international commercial aspects of the law and the strong European emphasis were the decisive factors for my decision to study at Birmingham. A further pull-factor was the possibility to attend the LLM programme previous to the first German state Examination.

The International Commercial Law course offers a wide variety of seminars on this subject area. Particularly exciting was that these seminars were not only taught by leading academics but also by internationally renowned practitioners in this field of law. The opportunity to visit Vienna for a week in order to represent the University at the world’s biggest Mooting Competition was a once in a lifetime experience and perfectly complimented the range of seminars.

Birmingham’s active student community and a huge variety of different societies to cater to everybody’s interests speak for themselves. Made possible by the proximity of student accommodation to the campus, university-life in Birmingham does not end when the “bell rings”. Being the second biggest city in the UK, Birmingham has a lot to offer. Leisure activities, shopping facilities and an astonishing variety of cultural offers paired with an emerging sense of internationality make Birmingham what it is:

Currently I am still studying law in Germany to complete the first state examination. However, having studied in Birmingham has already changed my future. The intellectually challenging discussions in class paired with a commercial real-life approach to legal problems have shaped my way of thinking. My wish to work as a solicitor for an international law-firm certainly became tangible by studying at the University of Birmingham. Having been approached by several international and German law-firms and having been invited to some very nice dinners in Birmingham and London certainly is one positive side effect of studying at an institution of such a reputation.

The University’s heraldic motto: “Per Ardua Ad Alta” particularly holds true for a career in Law. Certainly it is not the easiest career and it demands for great dedication and perseverance. However, who is willing to pursue this career with great vigour will certainly be rewarded. Just as the motto states: Through hard work, great heights are achieved."