Pierre-Louis Merer LLM Maritime Law (2017), Winner of the Gard Prize for the Best Performance in Carriage of Goods by Sea

The LLM is an excellent academic diploma reflecting the expectations of the professional sector. I have developed my communication skills, my level of legal research, and my capacity to work on broad and stimulating issues in a cross-cultural environment.

The LLM in Maritime Law at the University of Southampton is an excellent academic diploma reflecting the expectations of the professional sector. It has a great reputation among professionals and academics and is simply the best course in Maritime Law, offering great opportunities for every student interested in a career in the shipping industry .

The academics who teach here are excellent; their commitment to share practical experience and their theoretical knowledge means the positive reputation is well deserved. The international dimension of the LLM really put stars in my eyes and gave me a lot of motivation and ambition for the beginning of my career.

Despite my interest in the subject, I did not know much about the shipping industry, so I attended as many "Wednesday seminars" as I could. They are attended by prestigious professionals from the industry (brokers, claims handlers, lawyers, etc.) who share their expertise and interest. Not only did I learn a lot with them but I also got offered to spend one week at the Lloyd’ Register office in London following my attendance of one of these seminars.

I enjoyed the amount of resources available to develop topics I was interested in, and the professors made every module an intellectual challenge.  In addition to the core modules of Maritime Law, I also chose to study Carriage by Air to broaden my horizons and wrote my dissertation in this area of the law. It helped me to get an internship in one of the Magic Circle Law firm in London and got me a job interview as well, I am now an Assistant Claims Executive at the Swedish Club .

Southampton is easy to adopt when you are a student. I found it to be a welcoming city with warm pubs, perfect to build long life friendships. As for the University, its modern campus offers all the comfort and atmosphere a student needs to spend a focused but very enjoyable year.