Dalibor Valincic, Croatia

LLM in Comparative and International Dispute Resolution 2008-9

An absolutely unique experience! I chose Queen Mary because of its well-known School of International Arbitration, which is widely recognized throughout the arbitration community. However, I could not have expected to find myself in such a diversified community of students and teachers coming from literally every part of the world.

I completed my legal studies at the University of Zagreb, School of Law and started working as a legal trainee in a Croatian law office. After having spent three years as a legal trainee, I registered with the Croatian Bar Association and became a fully qualified lawyer. Having practiced for a year as a lawyer, I was determined to specialise in the field of dispute resolution, especially in international commercial arbitration. Since I was looking forward to coming to London, Queen Mary was a logical choice.

As our classes proceeded during the year, I began to realise why the School of International Arbitration is so renowned. Legal theory lectures were interwoven with practical issues, which was very useful for me as a practicing lawyer. On the other hand, lectures were balanced with table discussions with practicing lawyers and small group tutorials, which all gave me a thorough insight into the world of international commercial arbitration.

Having completing my studies at Queen Mary, I have now returned to Croatia and am continuing to work in my own law office. I am convinced that my LLM degree in Comparative and International Dispute Resolution will show to be an important asset both for myself and my clients.