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cover art for Sarah Copeland: My professional journey from private practice law to Higher Education lecturing

Global Careers Calls

Sarah Copeland: My professional journey from private practice law to Higher Education lecturing

Season 3, Ep. 3
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In this episode we introduce you to Sarah Copeland, originally from New Zealand and now based in Lyon, France. Sarah studied an LLM, specialising in Public International Law, with the University of London, which helped her pivot her career from private practice as a Solicitor and Barrister in mediation and dispute resolution for law firms in New Zealand, to Higher Education lecturing at the Université Catholique de Lyon in France at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate level.

 

Sarah will discuss her motivation for her career change, describe the skills she needed for a successful legal career, share tips on maintaining work-life balance, and offer her personal reflections on the emotional challenges and the rewards of the roles she has embarked on during her professional journey. We hope you enjoy the conversation.

 

Sara’s academic accreditations from the University of London include: an LLM in Public International Law, a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental and Natural Resources Law and a Postgraduate Certificate in Law and Development.


[01:32] - How will you describe yourself when you were studying for the University of London: a career changer, a career developer or a career starter?

[02:50] - Sarah Copeland’s professional journey

[04:23] - What motivated you to get into Law?

[05:50] - Why did you choose to specialize in Public International Law at the University of London?

[08:33] - An overview of Sarah’s current role as lecturer at Université Catholique de Lyon

[10:04] - Was there any moment in your career journey when you had a revelation or a realization that changed your career journey?

[13:59] - An overview of her job in private consulting, specifically in the field of dispute resolution

[15:36] - What skills or experiences you developed through your university of London degree?

[16:18] - Did you face any setbacks in your career?

[18:40] - How did you manage your wellbeing and your work life balance in this kind of scenario?

[22:15] - Advice for current students wanting to start a career in International Law

[25:18] - Tips for Law students to build their commercial awareness and keep up to date with current affairs

[29:50] - What skills, expertise or knowledge will you advice somebody to develop?

[30:56] - The importance of networking in the legal field

[35:06] - Sources and strategies to find vacancies

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