This programme will reap the rewards for the rest of your life.
Rubilita Hooff
LL.M. Student Maritime and Transport Law 2019-2020
My name is Rubilita Hooff. I’m Dutch and I studied Maritime and Transport Law while being a mom and running a legal office. This is my introduction for saying that I that was an older student during the 2019-2020 master. This is also my introduction for telling everyone who works in the transport industry, and everyone who wants to make a career switch in the field of law, that this LL.M. programme is definitely worth giving up one year of your life.
After having finished my bachelor’s degree at the Open University, I decided to do this master programme for the following reasons. I have working experience in this sector. Once I stepped into this world of shipping, it instantly fascinated me. Furthermore, I have the ambition to practice law either at an insurance company or other related business where specialised people in the maritime and transport sector are highly appreciated and needed. Moreover, I have experienced from my job at the claims department of a shipping company, that there is a lack of qualified legal advisors in this area. So, combining all these reasons, it was only a logical step to sign up for this course. Also, knowing that I would meet people from all over the world was a big bonus.
My experience with this master programme can be best described as a marriage of ten months. You must be fully committed to make it work. The first eight weeks are very confronting, and I have experienced these weeks as very intense. However, this period prepares you for the rest of the programme. You have to do presentations, work with other students, debate, upload assignments continuously (throughout the whole year), perform in a moot court and submit your mini thesis. After that, the programme is divided into different courses which aim to fully master you in every aspect of maritime and transport law.
To those of you who are more mature, and who are seriously considering signing up for this master, I would like to leave you with some thoughts. Be convinced that you want to achieve your goal in the end. Know that you will encounter a very stressful year, and you will want to give up at least three times. However, bear in mind that this programme will reap the rewards for the rest of your life. In the end, it is worth it.