Rayana Khalaf

Where are you from?

I was an international student and am from Lebanon.

What motivated you to pursue the LLM?

Having focused on Lebanese law during my undergrad, I decided to pursue the LLM to gain exposure to international law and foreign jurisdictions. I aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the law and its implementation in a rapidly changing legal environment.

I hoped to gain further credentials in the legal industry, while experiencing life abroad in London.

I was drawn to the LLM program at The City Law School due to its diversity, both on the curriculum level and the student level. Given my interest in various areas of law, I was drawn to City's General LLM program, which offered the flexibility of exploring multiple legal specialisations during a one-year period.

I was also drawn to City's diverse student body and its welcoming culture, which was attested to by City LLM alumni who highly recommended I join the programme.

What were you doing before studying the LLM?

My previous degrees include a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the Lebanese University. During my LLB, I took on multiple internships, ranging from a civil rights law firm to one of the leading multi-service law firms in Beirut, Lebanon.

After earning my LLB, I worked as a trainee lawyer at Noueihed Law Firm for almost one year, after which I moved to London for my LLM. During my time as a trainee lawyer, I drafted pleadings civil litigation cases.

I drafted contracts and articles of association for corporate clients, in addition to field work in courts and other governmental entities.

To complement my work in the legal industry, I also worked as a freelance writer and editor, creating content on a wide range of topics including court cases, legislative updates, and business news.

What are you doing now? How did The City Law School prepare you for your current role?

Based in Houston, Texas, I currently work as a Senior Consultant in the Data Privacy department at Earnst and Young (EY US). I received the job offer the day after my City LLM graduation in January 2022, which - in my opinion - is emblematic of the interconnectivity between my LLM degree and this amazing work opportunity.

As part of my role, I support clients in building their privacy programs to meet regulatory and industry expectations, which requires the consolidation of legal knowledge with business expertise.

All the modules I took on at City helped me think about the law more critically and opened my eyes to recent developments in the legal landscape. In particular, our professors empowered us to engage in insightful conversations, allowing each student to share insights from their respective home countries.

However, it was my final dissertation that really paved the way for me to dive into the data privacy field. The City Law School administration team was extremely flexible and supported my decision to pursue a dissertation around assessing the data protection framework of the NHS COVID-19 mobile application.

With great guidance from my advisor, I discovered my deep fascination with privacy and data protection and thus developed a paper that was highly commended.

What opportunities and experiences did The City Law School offer you whilst you were studying?

I underwent the LLM program during the pandemic, while learning remotely, thus such opportunities were limited. It is worth mentioning that The City Law School hosted regular sessions with legal practitioners across different areas of law, which I found to be extremely valuable as we learned about potential work opportunities and gain insights from successful professionals, some of whom were graduates of the school, if my memory serves me right.

What knowledge and skills did the LLM help you develop? Which one has been the most useful since you graduated and why?

The classroom interactions helped me develop my communication skills and better prepared me for my current client-facing role. In addition, during these conversations, professors encouraged us to be more analytical in interpreting the law.

These communication and analytical skills have been the most useful since I graduated; I implement them on a daily basis since I engage in nuanced conversations with colleagues and clients around data protection regulations.

Perhaps less tangible, but definitely just as crucial, is the empathy and support I experienced from professors and administration.

I found this sense of humanity to be hugely impactful; it really stuck with me, and I strive to apply it as a guiding principle for all interactions, whether in a classroom, on a personal level, or in a corporate setting.

What were your favourite modules or aspects of the LLM? And why?

Forensic Psychology for the Criminal Practitioner- this module caught my attention, as I have always been interested in psychology, but never had the chance to explore its intersection with the law. The module taught me how to interpret human behaviour, in the criminal context and beyond.

Criminal Advocacy was also an interesting module for me, especially since the classes were very interactive and we had the chance to partake in mock trials. The reading materials for both these modules were dynamic and fascinating.

While I did not pursue a career in criminal law, I found the content to be extremely valuable and impactful in developing my analytical thinking skills.

Why did you choose The City Law School for your postgraduate studies?

I first heard about The City Law School from previous alumni who attended the same law school where I earned my LLB. They had positive experiences at City and they confirmed that the LLM unlocked new career opportunities for them.

I was drawn to the flexibility of the LLM programme at City, as I was in the early stages of my career and was not ready to commit to a single legal specialisation.

I was also drawn to the diversity and welcoming culture that City was widely praised for. In addition, going through the list of available modules really sparked my interest in the programme.

My decision was also influenced by City's reputation as a leading institution for training solicitors and barristers in the UK.