Maria Strandberg

After graduating from gymnasium my desire was to study abroad. I applied to San Francisco State University through International Business School's study abroad program. My year in city was wonderful. I really enjoyed the experience of living in San Francisco,exploring a new culture and country. However, I moved back to Sweden to get my law degree, graduated from law school and thereafter worked for a year as a lawyer. After that, I was ready to return to California. My desire was to complete the LLM program in the US. Therefore, I applied to several scholarships, as well as for internships at law firms in California. I started working as a law clerk at a law firm in San Luis Obispo, CA, and after about one year I found out that I had received a scholarship from a SwedishFoundation. I applied to LLM programs at different law school in California and finally chose Hastings' LLM program.

1) I chose Hastings partly because the school has a good reputation among practitioners. Both judges and attorneys advised me to select Hastings. Another reason was the wide selections of courses offered at the school. I am interested in international commercial law and alternative dispute resolution (ADR), and they had a good selection of classes in these areas.

2) The major difference of studying at law school in the US and in Sweden is the fact that the legal systems are so radically different, common law vs. civil law. At first it was a bit tricky reading American cases, but you get used to it pretty fast. I really enjoyed the classes I have taken during this year, i.e. Int'l Business Transaction, Int'l Trade Law and Policy, Int'l Negotiation and Dispute Settlement, Comparative Antitrust Law.

3) San Francisco is diverse, liberal, extremely beautiful - just a wonderful city. Due to the geography it is limited in area and cannot expand anymore. Therefore you get quality instead of quantity. The city is divided in districts that all have their different charm and character, i.e. Haight Ashbury, Hayes, Fillmore, North Beach, SOMA.

4) I will return to Sweden with deeper knowledge and understanding of U.S. law, as well as international law. In addition, the experience of living abroad and making friends from all over the world, has given me knowledge that no books, TV or newspaper can provide. Due to globalization and the demand for lawyers with knowledge in international law, I do believe that the LLM program is a great investment if you are interested in practicing international law.

Choosing San Francisco and UCHastings' LL.M. program is a decision I have not regretted, instead I am extremely grateful for getting this opportunity and thankful for the experience, knowledge and relations it has given me.