Law Academy – A Project That Will Enable Young Lawyers to Gain Experience Working in a Company

The Croatian educational scene has been enriched by yet another project that enables young people to acquire the skills and knowledge demanded by the labor market, which is not covered by university education – Law Academy.
This is a partnership project of lawyer Danijel Pribanić, headhunter Ludovic Coquillet, and English language instructor Bojan Prosenjak, envisioned as a meeting place for young lawyers, students, and graduates with legal professionals who are neither judges nor professors, but in-house lawyers. Their goal, in addition to improving the understanding of the current role of lawyers and in-house legal professionals and working in English, is to enhance the abilities and skills of young people, connect them with business professionals, and provide them with greater employability.

Correcting Misconceptions Pribanić’s impression is that many quality candidates are misunderstood when they apply for jobs. They are perceived, he says, as opportunists or as those who are merely collecting references in their CVs from student projects, always lacking something.
– I have also noticed that there is always a lack of passion and dedication, as if there is a misconception about what it actually means to work in a business environment. With their attitude, they reject business people and do not deliver what they are paid for – says Pribanić about his motivations for starting this project.
Coquillet has gained a similar impression from interviewing young people. He was, he says, surprised by their lack of self-confidence, presentation, and speaking skills. He has also encountered many business people who complain about the lack of openness of the younger generation and their difficult adaptation to the work environment. Therefore, at the Academy, he wants to approach everyone individually, assess their communication and presentation skills, and help with their weaknesses. Prosenjak has also worked with young people and emphasizes that good knowledge of English is indeed necessary if they want to be taken seriously by employers and if they want to advance in their careers, but also that many foreign language courses are not tailored to the needs of lawyers and other legal professionals.

Exchange of Experiences All that the co-founders have identified as a deficiency in young people is included in the concept of the Academy, within which they are starting to implement a free project for participants called ‘Liaison’, aimed at young lawyers and students. It is open to both employed and unemployed individuals, anyone participating in the legal process. It operates like a modern international law firm and corporation with an in-house legal team, with English as the language of communication. It consists of two parts. The first part involves preparing a legal opinion to be submitted by October 14. Candidates with the best works will then be invited to participate in the second part, which will include presentations and teamwork with business people and lawyers. In addition to improving professional and language skills, part of the Academy’s mission is to expose participants to potential employers and provide an opportunity for the exchange of experiences among lawyers working in corporations.