LLM Student Profiles

Saud Alhassan Saud Abdulaziz Al Saud, a student from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,decided to do an LLM at Pace University School of Law because he wanted to advance his level in legal studies. Saud chose Pace University because he recognized that the law school is one of the top schools in environmental law. More specifically, what drew Saud to Pace University were Mark Shulman, Director of Graduate Programs, and his assistant Deborah Zipf. Saud explained that through a phone call with Professor Shulman he was able to both gain a brief explanation of the LLM program and obtain guidance in setting up his educational goals. When talking about Deborah Zipf, Saud described that no matter how much he tries to explain how great she is – it just is not enough. He further went on to iterate how she makes you feel welcomed and at home, which was important for why he chose Pace to pursue his LLM. In describing his experiences at Pace, Saud has said, “I honestly like all the professors I met in class or out of class. They are pleasant and approachable.” For Saud when deciding to study in America, he explained that he has always truly admired the American educational system and that it's a new paradigm of education, which has greatly enhanced his personal experience. In thinking about the future, Saud acknowledged that the future holds a lot. What he does know at this moment is that “we seek knowledge to overcome the unknown obstacles that are yet to come.” There is no doubt that Pace has left a footprint in Saud’s life, “Pace is my home and family. There is no place like home. That’s how I would describe my time at Pace. I don’t know how I’ll deal with graduation!”

Tais Laureano, a student from Brazil, chose to do an LLM at Pace University School of Law because a graduate degree is important to have in her home country. Tais also chose to complete her LLM at Pace because she wanted to have a specialization. She decided on Pace University because Pace is well known in Rio de Janeiro, her hometown and it is one of the best 3 environmental law schools in the nation. What made her select Pace from among those top environmental law schools was its location because it is close to New York City. Along with the great location, Tais chose Pace because of the great professors and great classes offered, specifically the UN Diplomacy course. In choosing to complete her LLM in the United States, Tais explained that what drew her in was the use of the Socratic method because it makes students study in advance allowing them to learn a lot in the process. Tais’ career goals are to work with something she loves and make money to live a decent life. Pace has helped Tais in achieving these goals by improving her resume so that she can pursue better job opportunities. Tais explains that her experience at Pace has been, “Really good. The professor’s are amazing, you can tell they know a lot, and the classes are very interesting.” The best part in studying at Pace for Tais has been the UN Diplomacy internship she participated in. “I’ve never thought I could work at the UN,” Tais explained.

Christopher Nahas was drawn to Pace University School of Law for his LLM degree because he wanted to change career directions and had a longstanding interest in environmental law. What made him decide on Pace was the fact that it is one of the top programs in the country for Environmental Law. Christopher also chose Pace because of the UN Externship program, the large variety of courses and activities offered, and the very helpful and friendly staff, specifically Deborah Zipf and Professor Mark Shulman. During his time at Pace, Christopher has been involved in the UN Externship and has served as a Legal Advisor to CARICOM and Grenada. In regards to his future goals, Christopher explained, “First and foremost, I hope to devote my career to the protection and betterment of the global environment.  Specifically, I aspire to work for the United Nations, an NGO or for an environmentally related government agency.” Pace has been helping Christopher to achieve these goals by providing him with an in depth immersion into environmental law, giving him access to world renowned experts and professors, and through practical experience by allowing him to work at the international level. Christopher explained that his experiences at Pace have been nothing less than exceptional. “The professors at Pace are highly accessible, thoroughly knowledgeable and committed to the environment.  In addition they are really a pleasure to interact with.  My classes have been highly informative and useful,” said Christopher. The best parts for him in studying at Pace have been, “Acquiring expertise and a deep understanding of the field of environmental law; interacting with my professors and colleagues; and my experience at the UN Externship program, which has been nothing less than extraordinary.”