Arsalan Abid

Law LLB

Why did you choose this course in Law at Manchester?

Arsalan Abid
Arsalan Abid moved over from Pakistan to study Law at The University of Manchester.

I chose this course at The University of Manchester Law School because it provided me the greatest flexibility to learn about the different specialist areas in Law. When researching about the different law courses at Manchester and their structure, I was really appealed by the huge variety of options available to do in 2nd and 3rd years of the degree. Moreover, before beginning the course, I had an increasing interest in Business and Commercial Law, so the opportunity to undertake several modules e.g. ‘Company Law’ related to this area helped make my decision easier.

Along with this specific interest, I still wanted the flexibility of a course structure where I could learn about other areas of the law which I had no previous interest or awareness of and so choosing this course made the most sense to me.

What do you most enjoy about studying here?

The most enjoyable aspects of studying here are meeting a diverse set of people and having an extremely supportive system in place to utilise. As an international student, one of the best benefits of studying at Manchester is getting to meet and know people from a wide variety of nationalities and backgrounds. This aspect really helped me adjust during my first year to the university experience as it was comforting meeting a large number of fellow international students.

This has really been fun and important in my personal development as I have learnt about many new cultures and about people’s different viewpoints and thinking. The level of pastoral and academic support available at Manchester has also made studying here enjoyable and calming. For example, the Law School has offered me so many support options to utilise which has helped me academically and personally through things like advisor sessions, learning drop-in sessions and wellbeing workshops.

Finally, one thing I love about the university is that it offers a perfect mix of traditional and modern experience. From the campus architecture to teaching, I have really enjoyed the combined university experience of combining the old and the new.  

What has been the highlight of your course so far?

The highlight of my course so far has been experiencing and witnessing Brexit and its related events happening while simultaneously studying EU Law. This has been a really interesting experience as it has shown me a direct link between the academic side of the law and its real-life effects on a major event like Brexit which has huge political, social, economic and legal implications.

Gaining a deep insight into the EU and its topics from a legal perspective has helped me better understand some of the developments in the Brexit process e.g. the withdrawal process. The University of Manchester Law School has really helped contribute to this highlight by having bespoke lectures on Brexit and they have assimilated it into the course very well by combining it with key legal issues e.g. Supremacy of EU Law. 

Have you been involved in any of the Law School's societies and events?

I have been involved with the Law School primarily through its societies. I was the first-year representative of MULS (Law Society) in the first term where I worked to promote the society and its events to my cohort. Moreover, I also volunteered with the Legal Advice Centre (LAC) in my first year as a student receptionist and I aim to become a student advisor next year. 

What are your plans for after graduation, and how do you feel studying at Manchester has prepared you?

My plans after graduation is to pursue a career in commercial law as a solicitor working preferably at a large, city firm, and maybe do a LLM as well.  Studying Law at Manchester has greatly prepared me If I decide to do a LLM. The wide range of options to do in third year will help me decide what area of law I want to focus on for my Master's. Moreover, the extremely high level of teaching by world-class academics has prepared me for the intellectual challenges that a master’s degree entails.

From a career perspective, I believe my experience at Manchester has greatly prepared me for a commercial law career. As mentioned earlier, meeting and studying alongside people of multiple backgrounds has helped me develop a more adjustable working approach and cultural awareness. This is valuable in a law career when working in teams on cross-border matters where there will be people with different approaches and so being adjustable is useful.

Moreover, through being involved with volunteering and extra-circular opportunities like society roles, I have developed a range of transferrable skills such as communication and teamwork abilities that are critical for a lawyer. 

What advice would you give to new students at the Law School?

My main advice to new students would be to have an open mindset, meet as many new people and actively get involved in opportunities offered by the Law School and the University from day one. Broadening your personal network and doing things outside studies will help you develop key skills that will grow you as a person and be beneficial in career employability. Finally, the step from school to university can be tough - make sure you utilise the support systems in place.