Are you interested in what legal studies in Italy look like? Do you think that belonging to ELSA can help you to become a better lawyer? What would you do at National Model United Nations? If so, I encourage you to read an interview with Miriam Ucci, who is a law student working currently as a head delegate at NMUN and earlier she was a Vice President for Marketing and President of Local Group ELSA Santa Maria Capua Vetere.

 
Kinga Mierzyńska: Why did you decide to study law? In retrospect are you satisfied that you have made that decision?
 
Miriam Ucci: I decided to study law before I really start thinking about my future.  I was always interested in law and practical cases, since I was younger… and when  I grown up I realized that I wanted something useful for helping the society and fighting the crime, especially in my home country.
 
I'm interested in what legal studies in Italy look like. Could you briefly describe the system of your studies? How long they last and what opportunities you have after completing this course?
 
The Italian system provides for the Faculties of Law a  five-years-program, at the end of this you achieve a ‘Master Degree in Law’. After you can also choose a specific Master or a ‘School of Specialization for Legal Professions’ that prepares you for the exam to become   a Lawyer.
 
 
Which area of law particularly interest you? Would you like to expand your knowledge of a specific field of law? 
 
I am really interested in International Law and International Relations. I became fond of it after participating at the National Model UN and in the future I would like research and work in this field. 
 
Could you tell me more about your work in National Model United Nations? what was your motivation to take part in this project?
 
The first time I  took part to NMUN was in 2011 in New York, as a delegate of Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, representing France. I worked in the United Nations Population Found Association Committee (UNFPA) and I found that really fascinating. I still remember the enthusiasm of working like a diplomatic during the working sessions, negotiating with students from all around the world and meeting important figures of diplomacy.
 
In addition, the excitation to stay in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters for the Closing Ceremony was so great that I cannot describe so well with words how fantastic was. After this amazing experience I decided to continue working as Staff member for Consules, a no-profit association that promotes  such projects in Italy, helping and tutoring students who want enjoy this projects and being actively engaged in International Relations.
 
How do you want to improve your career prospects and employability skills in nearly future?
 
I think that the practice is the best way to learn something and improve skills. For this reason, I consider Model UN, Moot Courts and other similar projects very useful for understanding the mechanisms and making in the practice what was studied. So I participated and I want continue to take part in this kind of projects and looking for a traineeship at European Institutions or other Organizations. 
 
Do you remember when you joined the European Law Students’ Association ELSA Santa Maria Capua Vetere? Could you tell me about the most interesting and noteworthy projects of your local group? 
 
Oh well… I remember it was the end of August 2011 when a friend of mine, Luigi Caiazzo (who became the first President of ELSA SMCV) asked me if I was interested to join a student association. Before that conversation I never heard about ELSA, but we begun to create with him and other guys a local board in our city, by starting from scratch and working really hard to promote ELSA towards the students of our university. Therefore, I accepted and then I was involved in a great adventure, first as Vice President for Marketing and, a year after, as President. It was fantastic working with the other ELSian colleagues, I met very beautiful people and I make friendships that last in the year despite the distances.
 
 
You were Vice President for Marketing and President of Local Group ELSA Santa Maria Capua Vetere. In your opinion does ELSA give possibilities for you and other law students to become better lawyer and find properly job?
 
Of course!!! ELSA not only gives you the possibility to put in practice what you studied, with a lot of activities and traineeship, but it also improves your skills such as multitasking, problem solving,  team working and so on…
 
In my experience, when I had a lot of things to do, appointments, deadlines, meeting and study (of course), I had to organize my agenda and my priorities and is very useful for the job world. Moreover, attending the ELSA Events you have the possibility to meet many law professionals so I think this is the best way to create job connections.
 
How would you encourage the students from Poland to take part in Erasmus in Santa Maria Capua Vetere?
 
Santa Maria Capua Vetere is a very small city, but if you want to discover it, it has lots of things to offer. There are a several ancient Roman Age monuments and older, like the Amphitheatre and Mitreo and it is really close to Caserta and Naples.
 
The Faculty of Law of Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli is not so big but this could be an advantage for Erasmus students because, there, everyone knows each other so it may be easier to make friendships. Moreover, there is the Local group of ELSA SMCV and other students associations that provides you a support for all the bureaucratic practices, courses of studies and everything you need.
 
And if you want relax and have fun enjoying a party after study hard, you have lots of choice: in fact there are many parties every weekend in several clubs and the student associations often organize “University Happy Hour” or similar nice events.
 
 
Wywiad przeprowadziła Kinga Mierzyńska – Ambasadorka portalu na Uniwersytecie im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu